Baby Star Wars Fan

In a few days I am flying to California (note to burglars: I'm sub-leasing the apartment! HA!), there to see my nephews (and also my sister and brother-in-law, but, you know, mostly my nephews).

Dear Sister tells me that my oldest nephew, Ilan, who is seven, has recently discovered Star Wars. He peppers her with questions like "Eema, what does Darth Vader look like without his mask on? What do you mean he is Anakin Skywalker? When did he become Darth Vader? What do you mean they haven't released the middle of the story yet? What do you mean that the movies you saw when you were little were the end of the story? What do you mean they weren't exactly the same as the Special Edition on DVD?"

This is all terribly confusing for adults, so I don't blame Ilan for being confused. Dear Sister just tells him "Doda is coming soon. Ask Doda. She's coming."

I am pleased for several reasons. First, his attraction to Star Wars means, I hope, that he will not ask me to play with his Pokemon cards or Transformers, which bore me to tears. Second, now I have someone to take under my wing and guide in the ways of the Force. At last I can pass on what I have learned.

And third, my nephew is now old enough to have a working brain and a bit of an attitude, so I'm excited to be "working with" him. Dear Sister tells me that they went to a video store to rent Episode II, and discovered that the store owns only one copy, which was out. Ilan started saying, loud enough for everyone in the store to hear his seven-year-old high-pitched voice "what kind of video store IS this? How can a video store not have Star Wars Episode II, Eema?"

And you know, he's right.