My Birthday in Outer Space

May the force be with you OR rather, may the 4th be with you!

It's Star Wars Day and I have a soft spot in my heart for it. In July 1977, for my tenth birthday, two of my three brothers treated me to a movie. Both brought me on separate occasions to see Star Wars. This was before any subtitles were added.

On each day, we sat through the movie twice. During all four of those initial viewings, it thrilled my ten-year-old heart each time the rebel ship crossed the screen pursued by the Imperial Forces. I watched and wanted to be part of it. I wanted to be a character on that screen involved in the conflict with my own goal and motivation.

Those special birthday events cemented my love for Space Opera.

Star Wars wasn't my first voyage into outer space, however. By the age of ten, I grew up watching re-runs of Star Trek: The Original Series. Watching TOS with my family was a joy for me. From it, I learned to stretch the boundaries of my imagination. Truth be told, I appreciate nothing more than stretching those boundaries. I enjoy poking and prodding those limits to see where there's a soft spot. I love seeing how much further my imagination can take me.

While I don't write Space Opera, those fantasy worlds have certainly fed—and continue to feed—my creative well.

Until next time, what was your favorite childhood movie experience?

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About the Author

Thanks to a family with a grand imagination and a love for books of all kinds, Joie learned to value a heartfelt story. Early on she realized writing and storytelling were as essential to her as oxygen. She recorded her first story at six and finished her first novel at twelve. The Passenger is Joie’s first published novel.