Return of the Jedi

I am the big sister to two boys who grew up in the 70s and 80s. For years, I was menaced by the flotsam and jetsam of Star Wars paraphernalia - AT-ATs as large as small dogs, white and black plastic Stormtroopers whose legs kept popping off and showing up all over the house, C3-PO and Han Solo and Lando Calrissian dolls and even Princess Leia with her cinnamon roll hairdo. We had a Chewbacca plush and an R2-D2 piggy bank. I figured, once we sidled into the 21st century and I grew up and out of the house, I would be well past the saga of the Clone Wars and the New Republic.

But I didn't count on two things: 1) that I would become the mother to two boys and that 2) no business person in their right mind would let the Star Wars franchise fade like those crawling titles into the blackness of deep space.

Yes, Star Wars is back. Like it never left.

The latest toy giveaway at McDonald's is none other than a Darth Vader key chain. Ian got one a few days ago and carries it everywhere, even though he has no keys and doesn't really know much about Star Wars.

"Mom, what's this guy called?"

"He's called Darth Vader."

Silence from Ian's end. His lips are moving slowly and I can tell he's trying out the awkward syntax of Vader's name. I guess it's too early to try Wicket Wystri Warrick out on him (Ewok hero - I admit I got a little help from Wikipedia).

A few more minutes pass and I assume we've left Star Wars behind and changed the subject. "Mom? What's the name of the green koala?"

"What green koala? Where did you see a green koala?"

"You know. The one with this guy in the movie." He holds up his Darth Vader key chain.

Green koala. Green koala. I have no idea what the heck - then it hits me.

"You mean YODA?"

"Yoda?"

"The short guy with the big ears?" I raise my hands and make a flappy ear motion on both sides of my head.

"Yeah! That one! Yoda!"

OMG. I wonder if George Lucas would be bummed out by today's kids thinking Yoda looks like a green koala. With all the money he's making off McDonald's and everyone else, it probably wouldn't keep him up nights.