1 day to go: A day long remembered...

(Photo: Joe Loudermilk - www.loudermilkphoto.com)

Finally, the day is here. In just a few hours I will be seeing Star Wars, The Force Awakens, the seventh episode in a series of movies that has (as you have learned from my blog) made a great impact on my life and continues to do so. For those of you that feel ‘it is just a movie’, you are right: it is just a movie. But in a world filled with far too much fear, anger and hate, a movie that makes us feel good, unites us and entertains us can only be a good thing, right?

I certainly hope you have enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me, and although these are my personal recollections of being a Star Wars fan and collector for the last 38 years, I got the feeling from your comments that many of you shared some of these memories.

These memories that I have shared over the last 100 days show just a snippet of the enjoyment that Star Wars has given me. I am confident there will be many more to add over the coming years, as a new era of Star Wars is upon us. My fondest memories will always be playing with my Star Wars toys as a child in my bedroom. They gave me so much enjoyment and taught me that the power of imagination is a great gift.

In some ways I would like to think that my passion and loyalty to Star Wars over the last 38 years helped in the tiniest of ways to play a part in making this movie happen. After all, it was the fans during those many, many years without new Star Wars movies that continued to fund, through their energy and enthusiasm (and hard-earned cash!), the Star Wars phenomenon, keeping going that spark of life within.

I confess that I am feeling very emotional as I write this. Filled with excitement, anticipation and nostalgia, not just because I am about to finally see the movie, but because the journey I have shared over the last 100 days is about to come to a close. I have thoroughly enjoyed writing and photographing every single entry.

My final wish is that if you go and see the movie (and I am sure you will), that for those brief few hours you let go of reality, don’t over-analyze, don’t be over-critical, just sit back and enjoy it for what it is … a great story being told.

May the Force be with you, always
Jonathan

My thanks …

Thanks goes to all those that took some of your most precious time out of each of the last 100 days to read my blog. Special thanks goes to my mother Valerie Goldspink, Joe Loudermilk for this amazing photo, and my younger brother Peter Storey (sorry you got left on the cutting room floor with your entry!) . Extra special thanks goes to my husband and Star Wars companion for the last 31 years, Bradley Brady … you were right, maybe 50 days would’ve been easier, but hey, when did you ever know me to take the easy path?!