When Fiction Meets Reality

[Embry Call]

I was out on patrol after visiting Mark and Caroline one day, thinking over what we did that night. Mark insisted on us watching Star Wars: Return of the Jedi together. He said the three of us haven’t watched a movie in a long time. I could just laugh at his choice of movies, but after we settled down, and he started to really get in the movie, things got interesting. What I have to add is that Mark may be in his own way a Star Wars fan, he knows his stuff, but he has this way of blurring out stuff that may seem random at first but that you find some kind of meaning behind it. That’s what happened that night.

We were at the scene of Yoda’s Twilight, when Mark blurred out the Jedi Code out of nowhere. “There is no Emotion, There is Peace. There is no Ignorance, There is Knowledge. There is no Passion, There is Serenity. There is no Chaos, There is Harmony. There is no Death, There is the Force.” He said those last words as Master Yoda finally gave his last breath and faded away, to join with the others. His final words to Luke also struck me in a way. “And remember, a Jedi’s strength flows from the force. And Beware. Anger, Fear, Passion, the dark side are they. Once you start the dark path, forever will it dominate your destiny” Mark may not have known or seen it but Caroline noticed something different when I left that night.

I could break down the elements of the Jedi code and see a hidden meaning through them.
The control we have to gain over our emotions to be able to obtain some kind of peace so that we can phase at will related to the first element. The knowledge passed down through generations by our elders allows us to know what we need to do to protect our tribe. The hardest was to accept who we became after our first transformation. There is this state of serenity that came when I finally accepted and understood fully who I was. A part of a weight that lifted off my shoulders followed by a different one: one to serve and protect. Before this transformation, most of us were doing things on our sides. This brought us a sense of brotherhood and belonging. Yes we each have our own personalities, some stronger than others but I’ve noticed that there was this renewed harmony within the tribe. The strongest moment of those is when we have our bonfires. Having all of us together around the bonfire, eager to listen to our history brings something special forward.

When I think back on that night, it makes me smile. On our nights out, we may be focused on our surroundings, absorbing every scent and sound around us, but there’s more to what I feel than just the forest around me. It’s as if the previous protectors were also there with us making sure we’re safe. I never feel alone when I go out on patrol. I even find myself looking forward to it sometimes. I know this is who I was meant to become and I’ll be ready to do my part on future generations when the time comes. Until then, I’ll be here anytime we are needed no more doubts in my mind.