 |
|
For the third and final time, Ponte has arrived for a Star Wars Celebration! This film was truly the culmination of my young life. Star Wars was such a strong force in my childhood, so strong that 7 years ago in 1998 when that Episode One trailer hit the theaters, the inner child re-exploded on to the scene and I was 5 again. What followed was a period of stagnancy in my life. I kept the same job, did not finish school, and just generally disengaged. This is not to imply that I was unhappy. Star Wars has given me quite a bit of enjoyment. The Celebrations themselves have been doorways into new sections of my life that I gladly stepped through.
Celebration I reawakened a part of myself I had thought long buried- it also marked my first step in independence by traveling across the country to Denver to congregate with people of similiar mindsets. Celebration II gave me a fun hobby- RGF the Rebel Ground Forces video game clan. It also gave me Tatum, my wife to be. Now Celebration III. While I did enjoy the con, many friends from the past Celebrations did not attend. Those that did attend grated on each other's nerves somewhat. The mood was very corporate and far different from the Woodstock-esque scene in Denver and somewhat in Indy. In short, it was the end. Star Wars as a film series was ending. This was the last great Star Wars con. We collectively decided to live it up like it was 1977...1997...1999...and 2002 combined.
In 1999, I was a single fry cook/manager/politician/musician who was looking to assert his independence and find others like himself. In 2005 I am still a Frycook/Manager. I am still a Musician. I still have an interest in politics, though my party alignment has completely changed from 1999. While those details remained the same, I am not. I am no longer at a sub-standard (my standards) Community College. I am attending Providence College, one of the finest private school in New England. I am to be married in 2006. I now have a clear view of what my life must be. All of these things were forged between 1999 and 2005. Celebration III was the final doorway to my future, and I have embraced it.