May the 4th Be With You

The famed Star Wars Day falls on a Monday this year.

May the Fourth.
May the Force.
May the puns never end.

For me, that date has always carried another meaning. It’s also the birthday of my best friend from childhood. But to explain that friendship, the timeline actually starts earlier. In fact, much earlier …

In our elementary and middle school years, we were inseparable. LEGO building (first I knew of this), sleep overs on Friday for movies, and dinner were our go-to plays.

Fun Fact:
When the LEGO Group and Star Wars teamed up in 1999, it wasn’t just cool — it was critical.

At the time, LEGO was struggling financially, and Star Wars was gearing up for a major comeback with Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace.

The partnership became a massive success, helping LEGO reverse declining sales while giving Star Wars a whole new generation of fans through play.

A true “For The Win” moment — before we even had a phrase for it.

We didn’t realize it but it’s the kind of friendship that simply existed because our lives occupied the same space.

In high school, we were separated. He attended the newest school, Cascadia High School, while I transitioned into Mountlake Terrace High School. Our paths crossed on weekends because we could drive ourselves, and our two different friend orbits could intersect.

Adulthood, of course, has other plans.

Marriage.
Careers.
Children.

Marriage, careers, and children reshape the three things adult friendship seems to depend on: proximity, timing, and energy.

He and I make it a point to exchange emails on February 7, and May 4. We don’t Facebook each other’s posts, or text messages, or any other form of digital communication. So to others—especially younger folks—it probably seems archaic. But we’re OLD!

Opportunity. Time. Energy.

That’s the gravity of adulthood. We don’t talk much anymore. But every year on May 4th, we still exchange a birthday email by me sending one to him.

Star Wars Day

While I’m not a Star Wars superfan, I do love the franchise! In 2023, at Wicked Rain (Gilbert, AZ) there was some trivia so I invited the Wildes’ only daughter: Rachel. She accepted and rolled up as Ahsoka with the appropriate white colored lightsaber! It was fantastic. She received hella props for the cosplay.

In years past, my Star Wars collection consisted of little more than a themed T-shirt I’d received as a Christmas gift and a pair of Star Wars socks from Audrey—humble beginnings for someone about to build a lightsaber.

Ahsoka and I rocking the Wicked Rain 2023 May the 4th Be With You Event.

However, this year will be different!

Last fall, I visited Savi’s Workshop in Disneyland’s Galaxy’s Edge—not as some goofy-looking tourist in board shorts, T-shirt, and sandals, but as Cairos Voluren-Kelvaar, Relics Hunter. I leaned hard into the lightsaber-building experience, creating a full character from my imagination. And you know what? The Disney Cast Members noticed. They actually appreciated the next-level cosplay. It was one of those moments where committing to the bit pays off.

Now I have a green lightsaber. And a character. And suddenly, May 4th feels like it has more potential.

I’m already eyeing local events—maybe even hosting a geocaching event on May 4th morning. Since I work Mondays from 14:30 to 23:00, hosting a morning event is the way to go. A pre-work Geocaching Event, much like ones I’ve organized before? That works perfectly. A way to celebrate on my own terms, with my own people, wielding a lightsaber I actually built.

The following is the character I created for the experience.

Cairos Vorulen-Kelvaar

Korrivan, a vibrant planet cloaked in dense jungles and ancient mysteries, served as the backdrop for Cairos Vorulen-Kelvaar’s formative years. In a quaint village nestled among the towering trees, tales of the Jedi‘s valor and their sacred relics echoed through the air, woven into the very fabric of daily life. This village thrived under the watchful eyes of the Keepers of the Light, a devoted group committed to safeguarding the remnants of Jedi history. From an early age, Cairos was drawn to their stories, often sneaking into the village library, where dust motes danced in sunbeams, illuminating scrolls and holobooks filled with the lore of the Jedi.

For more information on my character, visit the blog for it here.