It was one of those rare “Million Dollar Days” when my heart was filled with such happiness, there’s simply no amount of money I’d take in its place. My wife and I spent the day with our daughter and son-in-law exploring the brand new “Galaxy’s Edge” at Disneyland. The date was the fifth of February 2020, and the park was packed with folks just like us having the time of their lives.
Everything was filled with the “Magic of Disney.” The Imagineers had out done themselves, and the detailed recreation of the land of Star Wars was something to behold. Each step was one of discovery, and every sound and sight thrilled our senses. From the “other worldly” food at Oga’s Cantina to the Millennium Falcon, to the incredible ride, “Rise of the Resistance,” we experienced a truly remarkable adventure at every turn. Yeah, a million dollar day.
Star Wars and the original Star Wars trilogy have always held special meaning for our family. I remember slipping out of lab as a junior dental student at Emory, and buying 16 tickets at the nearby Loew’s Tara Theater on Cheshire Bridge Road for my classmates and me for opening night in 1977. Ironically, I got “caught” by the assistant dean of students returning to the lab forty minutes later and remember being sent to the dean’s office for punishment. Apparently, twenty-six year old grad students aren’t allowed to leave school early… Who knew?
Through the years, our kids became as big a fan of the trilogy as were my wife and me. And, often, when I was away on business, my wife and daughters enjoyed an all-night “Star Wars” movie marathon with popcorn, pizza, and ice cream. Fun family memories for sure. Just totally surprised they didn’t completely wear out the old VHS player watching Luke “use the force.”
Our magical Disney day finally came to an end late that fabulous afternoon. But, on the way out of the park, we ran into just a wee bit of trouble. Stopped by two Storm Troopers, things looked pretty bleak until one of them said, “You’re not the droids we were looking for…. Move along…” And we did!!
So, as I post this blog on this special date, more than three years past the peak of the pandemic that shut so much of our world down robbing us of happiness and joy, “May the Fourth Be With You,” now and for evermore!
“If you can dream it, you can do it.”
Walt Disney
