Ah yes, it feels like only yesterday when Luke and his mates were out trying to save the galaxy, getting into bar fights, rescuing a princess, flying down trenches in space stations with a target no larger than two metres wide.
We have to face it, Luke was a legend. Well, is a legend. If it wasn’t for him, the galaxy would still be under the control of that dude in the suit and his evil mentor.
We owe a lot to Luke, that’s for sure. But what you may never have considered are the ramifications for his so-called victory on that fateful day.
For one, let’s consider the magnitude for destroying a moon-sized space station, filled with people, animals (presumably), plants (also presumably), and probably billions of dollars worth of infrastructure and machinery. The people on it alone would have at least numbered in the few hundred thousands. And you can imagine how many of them would have been (a) entirely innocent, (b) did not agree with what was happening but had no say, (c) just wanted a job and/or money, or (d) had said something and were awaiting their clearance to leave (or their execution).
Hitler, Khan, Hussein, we all know the stories of the leaders that had an army at their disposal to solidify their rein. We also know stories of the people who did not agree with their leaders, yet kept their mouths shut on account of putting food on the table, blending in, not putting themselves under the spotlight, etc.
In some regard, such circumstances can be understandable (albeit, in hindsight, often can be difficult to comprehend). But think about it, how many of those thousands of people on the Death Star were in the same boat? How many families had babies who’d just taken their first step? How many were on their way to promotion, graduation, a holiday on the nearest beach planet? How many people had left for work that day and didn’t say goodbye to their family, had engaged in a stupid argument with their partner, or were about to put in their résumé for a new job elsewhere…
Look, I understand when Luke destroyed the Death Star he did it for the greater good. But surely Luke could have gone about it a different way. Maybe the Rebels could’ve called ahead and attempted to negotiate with the Emperor, asked him to stop trying to establish order across the galaxy before launching their attack. Maybe a phone call, message on his interstellar answering machine, text, or email could’ve stopped the whole thing.
To make matters worse, what about the economics? You probably don’t want to know, but recently, Twizzle released an estimate regarding how much the Death Star would’ve cost to build.
Without taking into consideration the equipment, computers, beds, food, nightclubs (again, presumably), bathrooms, and laundromats riddled throughout the station, they came out with a total of $30,105,191,237,040,001,024 AUD ($30 quintillion). Pretty pricey, if you ask me. Think of the possibilities the entire galaxy could have done with that kind of money. Selling the steel, the copper, the equipment, the paintings and sculptures dotted about the place, along with the various other items, could’ve covered the cost of ending things like famine, poverty, homelessness.
Again, I know Luke acted for the greater good, but right now it does seem a little hazy, especially when considering they could’ve at least given the station a little heads-up.
But just like in real life, perhaps there is a lesson in this. After all, we all know how unprovoked, unannounced, unforeseen events can arise and derail us in the blink of an eye. It seems to be the same for the people of the Death Star going about their day. How many had “the bold arrival of a band of Rebels” on their bingo card? Probably not too many. But you can be sure once the klaxons sounded, many huddled, hugged, and prayed, promising they’d make good, make do, stop waiting around for the magical opportunity in their lives when they would finally do what they wanted to do.
Sure, this can be a cliché segue, but it’s also a mini reminder to observe our own lives. If we’ve been stuck in the “rat race,” always preparing to make the change, always promising ourselves it’s time to lower our ego, apologise, forgive, grow, evolve, forge ahead, recognising that unpredicted events can flip our lives can help reignite motivations we’ve forgotten about. And if you’re someone who feels like you’re in this boat but are at a loss about how to make a change, start with the simple: write down what you’d love to be able to do, see, experience, learn. Then, if possible, break these things down into smaller events or moments that can be implemented, created, or attained without too much difficulty.
It might sound basic, but it really is. While we might not always know what we want to be doing with our lives, trying things out can help us figure it out faster than it would take if we remained stationary and/or reluctant to the belief in our possibilities.