I had the Princess Leia Buns

  Assignment #60:  This assignment takes me back to a time and place, far, far away: 1978, the 6th grade  I had a Star Wars moment; I was 12.  All of the sixth grade classes at my school were involved in a musical assembly, and our class decided to incorporate the Star Wars theme into our skit.  I was the only girl in my class who had hair long enough to make the Princess Leia buns!  

My mother made my costume- a long, white polyester dress with attached hood.  I wore a silver belt, along with my some of  my mom’s fake rhinestone jewelry.  I remember my teacher and classmates impressed by my ensemble at the night of the performance.  My teacher took me aside and told me that he wished he had more lines for me to read in the play.  I was totally comfortable with my small part:  my role was to stand  in the background with “Luke” cheering for "Obi Wan" on as he and "Darth" dueled with the lightsabers.   My lines consisted of:

“Fire Cracker, fire cracker, chiltz, boom ba!  Obi Wan, Obi Wan, Rah, Rah, Rah!”   

Luke and Obi were played by girls, believe it or not, and Darth was played by a boy who had a very whiney and high pitched voice.  It was quite entertaining.  I remember afterwards singing that ever popular Debby Boone one hit wonder, "You Light Up My Life" at the end of the assembly in my costume.  I felt so proud wearing my buns--everyone was looking at them.  That was the beginning and the end of my theatrical career in school.  It was a small role to play, but I had the hair—I couldn’t let the force down.  I later used my costume as a pajama for many years afterwards.  I also remember pretending to be Leia at home reciting that every popular phrase:  "Obi Wan, you're my only hope" over and over again....  

I remember later in high school, my friend Leslie had a great obsession with Harrison Ford's character,  Han Solo.  Her room was completed decorated a la Star Wars.  I told her one day that I had heard a "rumor" that it would be revealed soon that Darth was really Luke Skywalker’s father.  She was so disappointed.  It was the almost the end of innocence for her.  She did not believe me; in fact she was so upset we me that she didn’t speak to me for almost three whole days. 

Extra credit:  Ewoks scare me; they are right up there with the flying monkeys from the Wizard of Oz in my book!  I think they are even more evil because people think they are "cute".