Darth Vader, Touchdown Hero
Many, many years ago, a couple pals of mine and I made a pilgramage from our sleepy college environs in Northfield, MN (St. Olaf College, to be exact) to the Twin Cities to view the Biggest Rock Band in the World (at that particular time) in movie form. That would be U2 in Rumble and Groan. Now, U2 was very much a part of the soundtrack to our lives and were very inspirational. But we could tell the end was nigh as we walked into the multiplex to buy our tickets and discovered that we could also purchase U2 baseball caps, sweatshirts, and other assorted merchandise. (The movie was indeed flatulent and brought an end to their first wave of popularity before their first remaking in Berlin with Achtung Baby.)

Recently, I've begun a knee-jerk salivation of excitement over the coming finale to the Star Wars double trilogy, Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith. I know I'm just doing harm to myself, much like Carly Simon singing about that nothing-but-trouble-exboyfriend Jesse:

Annie, Keep reminding me
That he cut out my heart like a paper doll
Sally, tell me once again
How he set me up just to see me fall

But I just can't help it. Star Wars was such a giant influence on my dreams and psyche as a kid, and the yearning to return to its mythology is just such an instinctive kick to the gut. I know that I'll go within the first week of its release (most assuredly with my pal Tolbert, whom I've witnessed the previous two episodes with in different geographic locales) and I know that I'll be disappointed. But I still can't wipe it out of my imagination.

But maybe this will help serve as a reminder of how far things have gone--a Darth Vader football jersey--and enable me to tamp down the mania and focus on my impending honeymoon in Paris. I hope so.