In honor of the Star Wars Celebration Orlando convention currently happening, here is a post Phillip wrote with thoughts inspired by Star Wars Celebration Anaheim in 2015. –S

“Chewie, weʼre home.”

With those lines, from the world premiere of the new Star Wars: The Force Awakens trailer at the Star Wars Celebration Anaheim convention, grown men around me were in tears.

I might have gotten a little emotional too. It had been 30 long years since we last saw the Millennium Falcon on the big screen and our two favorite pilots at the helm.

Almost that long ago, in the mid-eighties, I remember being a seven-year-old kid, driving through the streets of Phoenix with my Uncle David. I grilled him about the future of the Star Wars and hung on to every morsel of news he passed on to me.

What makes these movies particularly powerful is the shared memories they create, especially across generations.

Iʼm not exactly sure when it was when I saw Star Wars (A New Hope) for the ﬁrst time. I always remember it being a part of my life.

“Through the force, things you will see.
Other places. The future… the past.
Old friends long gone.”
–Yoda from The Empire Strikes Back

For me, getting together at my grandparents’ house along with my aunts, uncles, and cousins meant a chance to watch Star Wars on Uncle David’s Capacitance Electronic Disc (CED) player! I look back on those times now with fond memories.

Both of my grandparents have been gone for decades now. Yet when I watch any of the original trilogy movies, the memory of my family and my grandparentsʼ home is forever intertwined in the story of “A long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away.”

As I got older, I carried on the tradition with my oldest nephew, introducing him to LEGO Star Wars. Cameron and I sat around putting together spaceships for hours. While he is older now, I still cherish the memories of his youthful enthusiasm when I showed him a new set.

As we watched the trailer for The Force Awakens at Star Wars Celebration Anaheim, everyone there had their own memories to bring to that moment. Memories of how Star Wars connected them to people and events in their own lives. For two minutes, the sights and sounds of a galaxy far, far away brought us a little closer to our own memories of long ago.

They also reminded us to be mindful of the present: the good times are not just in the past.

While I’m in Indiana, see if you can tell which of these places from t.v. and movies really exist. Even if you’re not familiar with the shows or the state, take your best shot!

Answers to each question are after the photos (which are from other places, so they won’t give anything away).

1. Hoosiers

Let’s start with some facts about a quintessential Indiana classic: the film Hoosiers. Yes, people from Indiana do call themselves Hoosiers for reasons that are unclear. Yes, basketball is huge in the state.

Question: Was Hoosiers based on the actual basketball team of Hickory High School?

A: No. The Hoosiers story was based on Milan High School in Milan, Indiana. There’s a Hickory Creek, Hickory Ridge, and even a Hickory Elementary School, but no town of Hickory or Hickory High School.

2. Parks and Recreation

The recently-concluded sitcom took place in the quirky Parks Department of a small town.

Q: Is there a Pawnee, Indiana?

A: Knope. While there is a Pawnee Drive in Jefferson, Indiana, you’d have to cross into neighboring state Illinois to find a town named Pawnee.

Hopefully, the rampant raccoon problem and polluted river are also fictional.

3. The Music Man

This is a musical about a small town visited by the traveling Harold Hill, who (spoiler alert!) never attended the Gary Conservatory.

Q: What about his supposed home sweet home? Is there even a place called Gary, Indiana (Gary INdiana, Gary Indiana…)?

A: Yes! There’s also a New Paris, York, and Rome! And a Louisiana Street in Gary.

4. The Middle

This show is about a family in the middle of the country with a middle income and especially about their middle child.

Q: Is there a town of Orson somewhere in the middle of Indiana?

A: Once again, Orson Only exists in Illinois.

I’m also starting to suspect there are no Thundering Hens.

5. Bridges of Madison County

This was a book and then a movie. I haven’t read/seen either. Any good?

Q: Is there a Madison County, Indiana?

A: Yes. But, as it turns out, Bridges of Madison County is actually referring to Madison County, Iowa.

While Indiana’s Polke County claims to be the covered bridge capital of the world, there may not be any in Madison County, Indiana. Most of our trip itinerary is within that county, so we’ll have more on what you actually can find there soon.

How’d you do on the quiz?

Tag: pop culture

The Force of Memories

Quiz: Is this place for real?

1. Hoosiers

2. Parks and Recreation

3. The Music Man

4. The Middle

5. Bridges of Madison County