Dear Mr. Lucas,
My eight-year-old son sent his first fan letter today. It was to you.
I dropped it in a big blue box, wishing it well as it makes it’s way to the offices of Lucasfilm. Big truck, plane, little truck, person in blue pressed polyester shorts—I trust each will transport the letter with care.
I ask that you handle my son’s heart with care. He fully expects you to write back to him, answering an all-consuming question. He wants to know how he can meet R2-D2. I understand you may not be able to arrange a meeting. That is okay. R2 is just as busy and popular as ever, making a cameo appearance on a recent “Dancing with the Stars” episode. My son watched the segment nearly twenty times over the course of a week.
After the episode aired, he asked if we could visit www.howdoimeetr2d2.com. I told him it doesn’t exist. For weeks, he schemed and turned over the challenge in his mind.
Can we call George Lucas? He’s not in the phone book, kiddo.
Why? Because very famous people don’t like to be in the phone book.
Does George Lucas have neighbors? Probably. Most people have neighbors.
Could we call George Lucas’ neighbors? Uh. No.
This past weekend we ate lunch at a restaurant at a regional airport. Our table was outside, on a deck overlooking the runway. Many of the planes were private jets. My oldest daughter noted that it was an airport for rich people.
My son excitedly asked if your jet was there.
A little over a year ago, I posted this anecdote on my blog:
Ryley is enthralled with R2-D2. He draws pictures of R2, dreams about R2, and wanted to spend money from his recent birthday on anything R2 splattered. Luke Skywalker? Darth Vader? Who are they? To Ryley, “Star Wars†is R2-D2’s story, slam that book shut.
Last night Ryley and I were sitting on the couch. I was listening to him talk about R2 when he asked this question:
“Daddy told me an actor sits inside R2 and makes him move. Is that true?†he asked, grimly.
“Yep, it’s true.†I answered with that cocked-head-I’m-sorry look on my face.
“Is it David Hasselhoff?â€
He owns a real working R2, scaled much smaller than the original. He got it for his birthday and he plays with it all the time. It plays games, bits from the movie, has a drink holder, has the attitude. I never imagined I’d tell a robot to put himself in a time out, but I have. Cheeky.
But it’s no substitute for his dream of meeting the real R2. I can’t explain what it would mean to him. That’s why I encouraged him to use his own words and write to you. I’ll watch him race to the mailbox in the coming weeks and months looking for your response. I could have some explaining to do about fan letters and the busy life of a pioneer filmmaker. It saddens me that I expect him to be disappointed in the end.
Sometimes you have to put your heart out there, or in an envelope sealed with minty glue. What would make me a worse mom? Allowing him to risk failure and disappointment or not encouraging his desire to try?
It’s on its way, Mr. Lucas.
Oh how sweet! My older boys are OB-SESSED with Star Wars right now. They are really into the clone troopers, storm troopers, sand troopers (there are so many of them!) and we were hoping to see one of those cool R2D2 post office boxes… I really hope he hears back from Mr. Lucas!!
Steph
Oh, Mopsy, I do so hope Mr. Lucas is gentle with your boy’s heart. Any chance one of the new R2D2 mailboxes is in your neck of the woods? (You can see some of the cities & pictures here:
http://www.starwars.com/collecting/news/misc/news20070315.html) It may just be the next best thing.
George, oh George, please write back. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if he did? It will probably take so long that he won’t be looking in the mail anymore, and then it will be a wonderful surprise….or maybe he’ll still be looking every day a year from now?
Aww! When I was a kid I wrote to Mark Hammil. In my star-struck eyes, *he* was the only one the movies were about. I got a form letter with a photo a while later, and though I knew it was carbon copied, I cherished it.
I think it would be amazing if Mr. Lucas wrote a real letter back. You never know!! Some guy named Arthur Koestler once said “If the Creator had a purpose in equipping us with a neck, he surely meant us to stick it out.”
Here’s hoping that he gets a response – Shannon’s son, over at Rocks in My Dryer – got a response from Honda when he wrote a similar fan letter! It could happen.
Here’s keeping my fingers crossed.
Good luck, little letter.
That is too precious. You’ll let us all know right away if he gets a response won’t you?
As predicted, Ryley is already speculating on the whereabouts of the letter. Is it on a plane? Will it get there today?
He is so sweet.
Thanks, NTE, for the link to the mailboxes. We read about them and were wondering if there were any in the Denver area. It appears there are a couple, according to a local news website. How fun. We’ll have to make a special trip.
I will definately post if we get any sort of reply.
I so wish Ryley could meet R2D2. Maybe he can. I was at the post office a few days ago and saw this sweapstakes… https://app.uspsjedimaster.com/main/sweeps/register_s.html
You never know!!!!!
May the force be with you,
Aunt Ali
Never give up. My #5 grandson was in high school when the last “Star Wars” film came out. There was a nationwide contest on Access Hollywood TV show for videos about Star Wars. He made it to the top 10 and they were shown online and America voted. He was voted into the final 5 and on the program— it showed George Lucas viewing Alex’s video! What a thrill for a boy from a small town in Ohio! He didn’t win — someone older with a ton of film equipment won, but now my grandson is in college taking film production. Who knows maybe my grandson and your son will meet up in Hollywood with good old George, yet!
Aww, that’s a neat story, Kacey.
I wish your grandson success as he pursues film production—it will be interesting to see what the future holds! 🙂
I really, really hope he gets a reply!