Hero in a Restaurant

As Galahad and his party strolled into the Chili’s Bar and Grill in Mesquite, Texas one blustery March afternoon, the young man stopped to hold the door for his friends, still chattering over the newly-viewed refurbished version of Return of the Jedi . Galahad walked in behind the group as his friend David answered "Four, no" to the hostess’ usual question, "How many? Smoking or non?" As the group followed their waitress, Galahad’s jaw dropped and his feet turned to lead. StoneG turned around and asked, "What is it, Galahad?" Galahad just stood dumbfounded and continued to stare blankly in the direction of the bar. StoneG called the others to a stop and asked again, "What’s your problem?"

Galahad’s hand raised, his finger pointed and he sighed, "Loooook..."

Ryan cast a puzzled stare in the direction Galahad was pointing and whispered to David, "Look at what?"

Galahad shook his head and managed to murmur, "Not ‘look’...LUKE!" with his finger still raised.

By now the group was getting uneasy due to the scene Galahad was beginning to cause. StoneG pulled Galahad’s arm down and clamped his jaw shut. "What ARE you staring at, Idiot?" StoneG demanded.

By this time Galahad had snapped out of his trance and was able to answer somewhat more reasonably. "Luke...Luke Skywalker." Meeting the puzzled gazes of his friends, he stated, "At the bar...that’s Mark Hamill, the guy who played Luke in Star Wars!"

Ryan interjected, "We know who Mark Hamill is. Only an idiot wouldn’t. But, I’m afraid that’s not him, Man."

StoneG looked annoyed. "Mark who? Who gives two flips about Star Wars?"

Galahad quickly condemned StoneG for blasphemy then turned to the others. "Look at him!" he pleaded. "That’s him! Who else could it be?"

"You can’t tell someone by the back of their head from twenty feet away through a crowd of people," David jeered. "Who cares about him, anyway? He’s all washed up."

"Hey!" Galahad said defensively and very much hurt. "He is NOT washed up. He’s a great actor! He’s doing stuff constantly."

"Ya, right," the others laughed in unison.

"Don’t mock greatness," Galahad said, stepping onto a chair and assuming a regal pose. "No single man has changed society in his own lifetime the way Mark Hamill has in the role of Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight. With power and distinction he brought honor and courage into the hearts of thousands of people worldwide. He triumphed over bad special effects and seventy’s hair styles to come out on top. He had really cool powers and fought with a really neat energy sword! His father was played by James Earl Jones, his sister by Carrie Fisher, his best friend by Harrison Ford, and his Mentor by Frank Oz! He had an all-star cast and he’s an all-star guy!

"Today he does the voice of the Joker on Batman: The Animated Series. He was on General Hospital several times and has done lots of CD ROM interactive games. He’s done talk shows and even had a cameo on Saturday Night Live! Luke Skywalker was, no...IS my hero and I’m going to go talk to him."

The group stood dumbfounded as Galahad hopped off of the chair and, swelled with pride and enthusiasm, marched over to greet his hero. Galahad tapped the shoulder of the disputed person at the bar. The chair swiveled to reveal the man behind the legend...Mark Hamill himself.

There was a sense of tranquillity surrounding this monument of strength and the "good side" and an angelic glow seemed to radiate from his body. "Hello," said the hero.

Galahad took a deep breath and asked, "Honestly, Mr. Hamill...how was it to work with Carrie Fisher in the Jabba’s Palace scene?"^*

He held his breath for a response. Mark just smiled and answered, "Let’s just say...me and the guys took turns messing up on purpose. It took three days to film that scene."

Mark then proceeded to invite the whole group for lunch and negotiate their exclusive movie ticket rights to the first screening of Star Wars Episode I: The Clone Wars (opening in theaters in the summer of 1999). The Force was with them all...as well as an autograph.