I Heart Luke Skywalker

I am obsessed with a band called Secondhand Serenade, and particularly their song "Awake" (which is now the ring tone I hear when my hubby calls me). I was trying to figure out what's behind my obsession...what is it that makes me love this song so much, or any song that becomes my flavor of the week (or month, b/c I'm not that fickle)?

After some thought, I realized I love it because it strikes a chord deep in this hopeless romantic, and it brings out a certain "swoon factor" in me. Most secular songs I love do the very same thing for me.

In college the swoon factor was released by Hootie's "Hold My Hand"; Depeche Mode's "Somebody" did it for me in High School (with it's percussion-esque heart beat at the beginning of the song); and "Hold on to the Nights" by Richard Marx was all it took in Jr. High (although I probably could have benefited from therapy after I attended his concert and saw women throwing their bras at him---still makes me want to rock in the fetal position in a corner).

I can even remember swooning back in elementary. I'd borrow my big sister's Boom Box---complete with it's own shoulder strap for convenient carrying---to play Air Supply's, "I'm All Out Love." I would pop in the 8 track (loved the sound of it "clicking" into it's slot), listen to it, stop it, push rewind and listen again over and over; all the while picturing Luke Skywalker singing it to to me; this is the truth.

I didn't even like boys at the time...they still had cooties or whatever...but I was infatuated with Luke; completely gone over him. Maybe it was his light saber skills, or perhaps the way he rocked his battle poncho, or maybe it was because in all his Jedi-ness he still had a very tender heart...who knows, but he had me at hello.

Of course nowadays, I'm all out of love for Luke Skywalker. But when I watch Star Wars with my sons today, I always hear Air Supply in my head when Mark Hamill is in the scene and I probably always will. I might even still swoon just a little, and possibly secretly cheer when Luke realizes Leah is his sister...