Departure of a Jedi

I'm putting this in "miscellaneous" because I deem it unimportant to this site and its forum, although it is fairly important to me.

For much of my life, the Star Wars universe was my home away from home. I read the novels voraciously from the time I was eight until I was twenty one or so, I first saw the films at age five, I think, and playing KOTOR repetitively for a decade taught me a lot about myself and how to view the world around me. Now I must leave that universe forever, perhaps because it has left me.

A large part of it has to do with my disgust over Mr. Lucas discarding the Expanded Universe in favor of the story-line introduced by the upcoming films. Honestly, I'm not very mad about this anymore. I don't watch films (nor TV, nor do I play video games), because it goes against my beliefs, so I really have no right to be too pissed anymore.

The Expanded Universe novels also took a sharp downturn with the introduction of authors like Karen Traviss, who molded the Mandalorians into something meant to attract the kind of people who play first-person shooter games all day.

What I am trying to say is that I derived a lot of benefit from the Star Wars franchise before it went sour (which happened several years ago). I am eternally grateful for the mentoring that it gave me for almost two decades. But, it is better to remember something as it was than to see it become a reanimated corpse.

I remember, back in February 2012, watching the 3D re-release of the Phantom Menace, which is of extreme nostalgic value to me. Seeing the relationships and dynamic between Qui-Gon, Obi-Wan, and Anakin- something that I missed when viewing the film as a kid- made me reconsider my own life. Seeing that landmark of my youth was an extremely emotional experience, all in all.

In my youth, I always envisioned myself learning and studying in the Jedi Temple on Coruscant. As an adult, I attempted to find this in real life, starting first with various Jediist orders (which I have no argument with, despite difference of belief), and Freemasonry (which I joined but later rejected after seriously devoting myself to the Christian faith). Without realizing it until literally the time of this writing, I believe this desire is what led me under the domes of the Orthodox Church.

One day when I get free time and extra money, I will buy a computer that is up to the job and download KOTOR. I will do a run through it or several runs through it, and write the book I have been planning since 2009 or so, discussing the philosophy of it and what it all means. When and if it is completed, I will let you all know.

Do I find myself needing a new source of inspiration? Not at all. American work hours, illness, and marriage have deprived me of that desire and need.

More power to you, my friend

I was affected similarly when I heard about the discarding of the EU. Seeing the new books now being released hurts in the pit of my stomach. I essentially grew up in the Expanded Universe. I know that it has finally come to an end is painful on many levels.

Which is why I too am writing. Star Forge, if you want to collaborate on any level, I'd love to talk about what you're writing as well as discuss my own.

MTFBWY

Be your own inspiration.
You are the hero of your own adventure.
Enjoy.

I too have a sour feeling about Disney Star Wars. It hurts to see all the RPG gaming I did go to waste. This is why I have started collecting all of the EU stuff. I will not leave the EU, it is my universe.

My Jediism is not dependent on any films by anyone, but has its base in the EU. My Jediism has become real because of TOTJO, and my basic religious beliefs.

I think Alan said it best, so I will say..."Till our paths meet again, May the Force Guide You and Keep You Safe"

you dont post often but your posts are often very open and thoughtful

i hope you continue to share your thoughts with us from time to time

either way, thanks and best wishes to you

Not ever having had experienced the EU, I suppose I can't particularly comment on that, however, while my Jediism has been inspired by the films/franchise, I refuse to chain myself to them. What is and isn't considered canon may have bearing on my entertainment choices (may being the operative word) but it has absolutely zero bearing on the spiritual journey I have chosen to undergo. Star Wars is a multimedia franchise that has some pretty deep themes here and there, often inspired by the same truths that span thousands of years of human belief, however it should never be a shackle to one's spirituality.

I try to do my best to simply take each story on its own merits, rather than the gospel according to George (or Mickey); it reminds me of the ancient mythology of the Greek and Roman pantheons: so many different versions, so many different interpretations, all true in their own way.

If you feel that you must go, then Godspeed and may the Force guide you on your journeys, but know at least in your time here, the Temple has been stronger in your presence.

Hello SF, nice to see you...

Personally, I never got into the EU either, thinking them a departure from the movies...

Yes, the argument could be made that they enhanced it, but, I think it was the beginning of the end for me...

The movies alone left some things open to interpretation, and things kept getting further tightened defined...

As the EU was not written by Lucas and company, i never thought it really part of the story...

I had already begun to define it for myself, who were these people?

Lol....

I echo Alan, "be your own hero in your life's adventure"...

I hope to see you around...

Just to clear up misunderstanding, this doesn't mean that I'm no longer posting on this site. I'll still be here, hopefully more than I have been. Honestly I should post more since my new job allows me no more time for fun that being online a couple hours a day.

Forgive me if my language was ambiguous.

Personally, I'm rather happy about the new direction the series is going.
There is a lot about the EU to love. I mean, yes, KOTOR is amazing, and many of the novels are great, and the comics are worth the read almost every time in my experience. But it doesn't bother me to consider two kinds of continuity.
I can still go watch Batman, the one with Jack Nicholson as the Joker, without considering the Nolan trilogy, or Batman and Robin, or anything like that. I can enjoy that on its own, separate from the rest of the Batman mythos.
Why wouldn't I be able to do the same with Star Wars?
A reboot -- not necessarily what this is, but it is akin to it -- is a breath of fresh air. There's nothing stopping fans old and new from enjoying the old EU material, but now there's so much open room to play with. I'm excited to see what this brings us and it in no way detracts from my appreciation of the old EU.

Phortis Nespin wrote: I too have a sour feeling about Disney Star Wars. It hurts to see all the RPG gaming I did go to waste. This is why I have started collecting all of the EU stuff. I will not leave the EU, it is my universe.

My Jediism is not dependent on any films by anyone, but has its base in the EU. My Jediism has become real because of TOTJO, and my basic religious beliefs.

I think Alan said it best, so I will say..."Till our paths meet again, May the Force Guide You and Keep You Safe"

When I identified as a Jedi, it was ALWAYS EU-centric, with the six films being included in that storyline, as they have been until now.

You probably know more about what's going on than I do. Is the EU discontinued for good? In a way, I hope so. Either way, I've washed my hands of it all. I sort of want the EU to end for good because it's started declining in recent years, and because I don't want it to continue in the shadow of the new Disney storyline. Karen Traviss, for instance. She did good for developing the Mandalorians and the culture of the clones, which was cool and all, but she took it too far and created a whole Mandalorian fan subculture and books that only teenagers and gamers would want anything to do with.

The thing I loved about the EU, aside from its depth and longevity, was that it allowed me to enjoy a fictional universe without TV or movies being involved. I mean, the films and the two Clone Wars shows, while being cool and all, were only a tiny part of Star Wars for me. I am strongly opposed to watching films of any kind, and it seems that the Hollywood gang has taken back the Star Wars franchise.

The EU was my life. I always knew Lucas was a total pooge. He read maybe one or two books by Joseph Campbell, who- I'm sorry- was a hack, and made some decent (?- I don't know how to rate movies because I don't watch them) films and a host of good sci fi writers saw some potential and made something really great, which Lucas always shamelessly profited from while speaking of it always with a tone of contempt, the few times that he even acknowledged it.