Tracey McCoy Thompson - My Journey to Endor

U p, high in the forest that day, I was an Ewok about to swing into the village. I could see C3PO, R2D2, Han Solo, and Chewy below, but I could also see what wasnt there - the village, the platform. I could see, vividly, what ILM would later add with movie magic. Even though I was twenty-two years old, I felt like a kid again, playing in my backyard.

Most kids play make-believe. At least I hope they still do. I did it all the time. I fought dragons, black knights, and took on huge armies. My house and the others on our cul de sac melted away and my imagination whisked me off to mountaintops, beaches, and jungles. The four giant California Oak trees... the bamboo forest lining the back wall of the yard... the plethora of different bushes and small trees... all became enemies, hiding places, and mythical creatures.

My mother would often yell out the window, Dont smash the flowers!

She loved her azaleas. I did not love her azaleas. They always stuck to my clothes when I hid under them. My mom knew exactly where I had been when it was dinnertime because the little bright pink tattletales were stuck to my shirt!

Our home was built in the 1920s and sat on an oversized lot, perfect for my wild imagination. The two-story house was white with green trim and had a wrap-around veranda with an outside staircase leading up to it. One of the best things about the veranda was that it served as a secret passageway to the roof. With a little balance and grace, I could pull myself up and into another realm. On top of the house, off of my mothers radar, I was free to do as I pleased. I felt like a giant, hiding up in the clouds, quietly looking down on everything below.

The old sturdy brick wall bordering our neighbors yards was perfect for walking on, crawling beside, falling off, and clamoring back up on. Vegetation covered the path of the wall. I would crawl along until I could not see one foot in front of me. My imagination would go into hyper drive who was hiding in the nearby trees? What was readying an attack from the shrubs ? My playmates, which often times were my brothers, would be my allies. And if we all wanted to be the Army General, wed be on opposing sides. Enemies!

I learned how to do dramatic death scenes when shot by pretend bullets. Falling from the wall was dangerous so we had to train ourselves to do it without getting hurt. I practiced falling from everywhere without getting injuredincluding the veranda staircase. My mom quickly realized I would bounce up, just like a rubber ball.

Our old green swing set was another vehicle of imagination. My dad bought it second hand and it was made of heavy-duty metal, so strong that a grown man could go for a swing. But to me, it wasnt just an old swing set. It was a rocketship! It was an airplane! It was my own personal flying fantastical beast! That swing set was anything and everything, depending on my mood and chosen game. But one thing was always the sameI constantly fell off it. Countless times. Though I did ring my bell (head) more than once, I never broke any bones. I was always getting stitched up. Thanks to me, my parents were on a first name basis with the emergency room doctors.