My only comment on today's Star Wars Discourse (which I stayed out of) is that if THAT is what people were upset about, then their complaints are getting smaller, weaker, and more desperate with each passing day. Eventually, those cries will fade into inconsequential nothingness.

Over the past 3 months, I've certainly had days where Star Wars Discourse has run me down. When I saw what passed for today's "controversy" ... I honestly laughed. It's so silly. It's so petty. No *reasonable* person should ever be upset by THAT. And that qualifier is the point.

So any talk of divided fandom ... it's along those lines. Those who are reasonable versus those who only seek validation for the opinions they already hold. The "lines" drawn based on which movies some may prefer, or those of us who love ALL of them, are nothing compared to that.

And when it comes down to a battle on those terms, it becomes easy to laugh off the Discourse. And to see which side will "win" in the end (to the extent that's the right word). Because inevitably people tire of anger and yelling, especially over a fictional story like Star Wars.

Twitter's not real life. Most who are not online think these "debates" are strange at best, and moronic at worst. This is Star Wars. It's not, and should not be, identity-defining stuff. Those of us who post about it with love choose to do so because it brings us joy. That's all.

So I will continue to do that. Because the world can be a dark place. And for me, Star Wars has always been The Light. The lessons it has taught me about how hollow and destructive anger and fear are have truly helped me. Listen to what The Story tells you. Breathe. And let go.

When Kylo scornfully asked Luke if he had come back to save his soul, Luke said "No." Not because he didn't care. But because he knew that he wasn't the one who could do it. Ben needed to save himself. Those who loved him aided him, but it was his choice. The choice to be better.

And Ben did. So we can choose to be better as well. Unfortunately, there are those who we cannot save (as someone training as a doctor, this is even more sadly true in reality). But while we may want to save others from perceived darkness, we have to protect ourselves as well.

So if you see that someone's determined to dwell in darkness ... you can walk away. Laugh it off. Shut the door. They may take that as you conceding defeat, but that's their own warped perspective. They're alone with their misery. You have the Light. You have everything you need.

You're not alone. Or if you are, you're alone with friends. There are more of us. We have each other. That's how we'll win. The day we stop believing Star Wars is the Light is the day we lose it. So let's pray that day never comes.

Better yet, Save the Rebellion. Save the Dream.

Apologies for all the corny quotes, but every single one of them comes from a Star Wars film I love (and Star Wars IS corny). And I could have chosen many more, from any of the films. Because I DO sincerely love them all. I'm not engaging in some agenda. I have nothing to prove.

In Claudia Gray's Master and Apprentice, Master Qui-Gon Jinn says: “We don’t choose the light because we want to win. We choose it because it is the light."

As fans, we go to the Light because it's there. Because it's SO much more fulfilling than hate. So let it in, if you can.

And if you can't, consider stepping away. If you won't, don't be surprised when others step away from you. Demanding others to suppress the joy that they feel to appease you is not only the dark path, it's the fool's path. You walk it alone (though other fools may follow you).

And in the end, there's nothing at the end of that path. Those who practice darkness and hate are consumed by it and destroy themselves, while those who choose love and light are renewed. Star Wars has taught us much, but that lesson might be the one that unites the entire Saga.

Star Wars has taught us so much, but if you can't learn from that one lesson ... well, I'd suggest you watch all the movies again. They're pretty good. All of them!

Or just find the nearest sunset or sunrise. Go to that light, because it's there. And it always will be. #StarWars