One of my treasured possessions (unfortunately, as you'll soon see, I didn't treat them that way) growing up was a series of limited edition, collectible STAR WARS glasses Burger King produced during the run of RETURN OF THE JEDI. They were possibly the first things I owned which could be considered collectibles, and therefore something of value past nostalgic or their "neat factor." Unfortunately as a kid, I didn't understand their worth, and it wasn't long before I managed to break both of them. At the time, I pretended it was no big deal when my parents mildly admonished me that I'd just broken something I couldn't replace, but inside, I felt a little twinge of loss, realizing they were right, and not knowing what to do with the idea that I HAD foolishly treated something of value poorly.
Recently, in cleaning out some stuff at home, Dad presented me with these collectible glasses, which they had purchased back then and had wisely squirreled away for a time when I WOULD appreciate them. You can imagine how I felt, having this come full circle, that my parents had the foresight to buy extras, knowing ahead of time that, as a kid, I probably wouldn't understand the value (both actual and nostalgic) of those glasses.
And, though we live in a culture in which you can buy specialty glasses at the local dollar store, it's neat to see Rey's glass next to Luke's, all these years later. I can only hope I'll have the wisdom to teach my kids to value such things, as my parents taught me.
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