May 19th will be marked as a bittersweet day for Star Wars fans. The day on which the final (although techincally 3rd) episode of a six film saga is released will be greeted with mixed emotions by people of all generations. Some will anticipate the satisfaction of finally seeing a story told over 28 years be completed (even if they did already watch the final act 20 years ago and already know how this third installment will playout); Some will be anxious to see if George Lucas can redeem a franchise many consider to have gone downhill; Others will rue another day on which they will have to defend their allegiance to Captain Kirk or Gandalf and Frodo; From their homes others will remark, "I can't believe these nerds on the news lined up for 2 days just to watch a movie." Where ever you are and whatever your personal feelings are, Friday will mark a significant milestone in pop culture, as one of its most recognizable and iconic stories at last becomes whole. It would be hard to find someone you know who isn't familiar with lines like "May the Force be with you" or "I am your Father". In recognition of the significant impact Star Wars has had on people and culture, here is a list I received in an email a few months ago.

Everything I Know I Learned From Star Wars:

1. Good guys don't always wear white and bad guys don't always wear black. Just to keep life interesting.
2. Belief and faith are far more powerful than any technology man can devise.
3. You will, throughout your life, be thrust into impossible situations by fate.
4. You may have family members in surprisingly high positions.
5. Never declare that there is "nothing to stop [you] this time."
6. THIS one goes here, THAT one goes there.
7. No disintegrations.
8. Never, never, underestimate the power of the Dark Side.
9. Sometimes you have no choice.
10. You will find many of the truths we cling to depend greatly on our own point of view.
11. No matter how deeply one falls into darkness, there is always hope for redemption.
12. Just when you think there is no more hope, alas, there is one more.
13. Don’t be overconfident.
14. Never judge a "piece of junk" from the outside. More often than not, "she's got it where it counts."
15. Faith and belief can be a weakness as well as a strength.
16. Your eyes can deceive you, don't trust them.
17. Beware of judging someone else's beliefs as just a "hokey religion." You may end up eating those words.
18. Never judge anything by its size.
19. Never cast your lightsaber away, you might need it.
20. Whining about something never helps.
21. It is not always necessary to ignore the annoying.
22. It is pointless to argue with family members.
23. Watch your hands when sword fighting.
24. Walk in single file to hide your numbers.
25. Trust yourself.
26. Never allow yourself to become as clumsy as you are stupid.
27. Sometimes it's better to fly into an asteroid field.
28. When you protest about the terms of an agreement, the terms might be altered further.
29. Size matters not.
30. "Try not. Do or do not. There is no try."
31. "Mind what you have learned, save you it can."
32. Even if it is a great shot, don't get cocky.
33. Sometimes you have to bury your feelings.
34. Be prepared for things to go wrong.
35. You'll always have a bad feeling about something.
36. The Dark Side is never irrevocable.
37. If all else fails, angle the deflector shields.
38. Watch out for those trees.
39. People who are "more machine now than man, twisted and evil" set a pretty sparse table.
40. Control, control, you must learn control.
41. If somebody cuts your hand off, don't trust him to betray his boss for you.
42. Young men should be wary of getting involved with crazy, old hermits who like to be called "Master."
43. Let go of your conscious self and act on instinct.
44. You shouldn't always listen to your parents.
45. You can't escape your destiny.
46. When you say that you are "ready for anything," actually be ready for anything.
47. Don't give into your anger.
48. Do everything in your power not to make the same mistakes as the previous generation.
49. Grasping at your throat will not stop the choking.
50. Beware of tremors in the Force.
51. If you do not believe, that is why you fail.
52. Everything has a weakness, it's just a matter of exploiting it: Emperor - overconfident; Luke - friends; Death Star - thermal exhaust port; Stormtroppers - Ewoks; Star Destoyers - bridge deflector shields; Darth Vader - compasion for his kids; Leia - smugglers; Chewie - dead animals hanging from trees; C3P0 - frail body
53. Don’t always look to the horizon. Keep your mind on where you are and what you are doing.
54. If you’re not afraid, you will be. You will be.
55. Stay on target.
56. Your insight serves you well.
57. Remember, your strength flows from the Force.
58. Once you start down the Dark Path, forever will it dominate your destiny.
59. You must do what you feel is right.
60. Patience... you must have patience.
61. Let go of your feelings.
62. You should always listen to a Jedi master when they tell you something; they probably know what they are talking about.
63. Even Jedi can make mistakes sometimes.
64. Pass on what you have learned.


Music: Star Wars Theme (composed by John Williams)