Ah, STAR WARS.
I was but a wee lad when the movie was released in theaters. I was immediately hooked on the world building, the characters, the esoteric concepts like the Force.
The Force, honestly, turned out to be a rudimentary breakdown of quantum physics, Taoism, Stoicism, metaphysics, and parapsychology. But that’s another discussion, now, isn’t it?
I fell in love with the Millennium Falcon, that wondrous spaceship that held a hyperdrive, allowing it to go faster than light. Then we found out in “Empire” that nearly all ships were capable of FTL speeds. The ship didn’t look like much, though. Imagine someone trying to save your life while pulling up in a beat up, rusty, smoking, 1972, four door Ford Torino. You scoff, but after jumping into passenger side window with bullets zinging around, you discover this POS has a blown 460 big block pulling about 1700 hp.
The Falcon was designed to be a freighter, which means it is essentially a tugboat. But a few modifications later and we have one of the central characters of the entire franchise. Yeah, I said it. A spaceship became a central character.
There’s a scene in the original STAR WARS “Episode 4 A New Hope” where we first experience the “jump to light speed.” Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Obiwan Kenobi, Chewbacca, and the droids are trying to escape the city of Mos Eisley. Three Imperial Star Destroyers are rapidly bearing down on our heroes. Han prepares for the jump to light speed to escape capture or destruction.
Luke, young, impatient, and impetuous, doesn’t think more than one step ahead and demands to know why this is taking so long. Han informs him,
“Traveling through hyperspace ain’t like dusting crops, boy. Without precise calculations we could fly right through a star or bounce too close to a supernova, and that would end your trip real quick, wouldn’t it?”
Why so precise? Aren’t those stars just sitting out there? Haven’t they always been out there? They haven’t moved at all. Shouldn’t you be able to move in a straight line to your destination?
To explain this, I’m going to have to go into some real serious science and physics and astronomy. I promise once you get through this, I’ll make a point.
These numbers are approximate.
The Earth moves around the sun at 66,667 mph. Keep in mind that the solar system is not a flat disc like shown in science books. The sun orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy and our 9 planets trail behind in kind of a spiral orbit shape, like a wind chime with different length chains. The Sun moves toward other stars at 43,000 mph. The Solar System moves toward the top of the Milky Way at 15,700 mph. The Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way Galaxy at 483,000 mph. The Milky Way Galaxy moves through space around the center of the known universe at 1.3M mph. The Solar System actually bobs up and down on its journey around the universe due to the pull of other systems.
Our Sun isn’t the only star in the galaxy, not by far. Billions of stars holding handfuls of planets are all maintain their own orbits through space around the center of our galaxy. Our galaxy is also moving among other galaxies through the universe.
This is a lot to calculate. If you want to get to the other side of just the Milky Way Galaxy, you would have to calculate the orbital speeds of thousands of suns, planets, and other celestial objects in an effort to avoid them. This becomes even more complicated if you wanted to go to a nearby galaxy, or to another quadrant of this section of the universe.
But I’m not done. Not even close. If you watched “Apollo 13” you learned that every celestial object has enough mass to generate a gravitational pull. As the Apollo 13 mission discovered, if you approach a planet at too steep an angle, you’ll be pulled in toward that planet and crash. If you approach a planet at too shallow an angle, you’ll bounce off and be thrown into space. The boys on that mission went around the moon by approaching it at just the right angle at the just the right distance and at just the right speed that it created a sling shot that propelled the spacecraft back toward Earth at the just the right speed and inclination that they could enter our orbit at just the right angle not to be bounced off into space to die.
One could figure the precise angle at which to approach a celestial body to generate a change in direction. The angle of attack, speed, and distance to different celestial bodies, when calculated precisely, can have you weaving left and right, up and down, and changing course multiple times on a trip across the galaxy. Like a roller coaster through space.
The factor of concern is how to get close enough to another object to simply change direction. Otherwise, you’ll likely get pulled in to the planet permanently (oops) or be thrown off course entirely and miss your mark by a galaxy or so.
In the time frame of the STAR WARS film, this calculation happened in about 10-15 seconds.
Not bad, eh?
But Weeg, you say, why did you bore me with all this nonsense?
Oh, my dear reader, I told you I would get to a point. But you know me, I must lay down the groundwork, the preliminary details so I can get to that point.
Let’s say you have a goal. Woodworking, a sport pastime, learning a new language, overcoming one of your bad habits or shortcomings, losing weight, learning a musical instrument, quitting drinking or drugs, etc. You have your goal, and you have an idea of the path you need to take to reach your destination. You may even have a timeline set to reach that destination.
Along your path, you may encounter things that may distract you. Other topics of interest may change your path or plan entirely. Some topics may be distracting enough that you now know a better way to reach your end goal. Some may have a gravitational pull so strong that you leave your goal behind and crash land on this new topic or area of interest.
Sometimes, the naysayers in your life apply such pull to take you off your path that you simply quit; you drift through the vast empty nothingness with no idea where to go. Now they plot your course – according to their designs.
Objects on every side may sway you, distract you, attract you, discourage you, and blindside you completely.
Ultimately, the skills you are seeking or the habits you are dumping are roughly translated into - becoming a better you. It may require you to spend some time learning new skills, looking at things differently, applying yourself in a new manner. Those around you may balk. They might like the 'you' who you used to be before this change. They were comfortable with the old you, the you they can control or rely upon to behave a certain way. Sometimes to get where we want to go we must leave where we are. To be a better person, we might need to leave some people behind.
Plot your course to becoming a new you. Whether it’s learning a new skill, setting boundaries with friends and family, getting rid of old habits, or unplugging from the Matrix, there will be people along the way to help you to try to derail you altogether.
Be mindful that some people, even those who are there to help, are simply there so you can swing into their orbit briefly in order to project you further along your predetermined path. They might change your course slightly, but not enough to change your destination or end goal.
Just like planets and stars, each person in your life or each person you may meet along your journey is moving along their own path and orbit. You must calculate your trajectory in a way that you can get close enough to the helpful ones to propel you forward or avoid the ones that may draw you in and destroy you.
This may mean that the new people you meet along the way might not be with you for the entire journey. I’ve had this happen in my journey. At first, I was confused and hurt, but after thoughtful consideration, I determined the reason for their departure. We simply weren’t on the same path to the same destination. I simply learned from them, and we went our separate ways.
The same may happen to you along your meandering journey to self-improvement.
Plot your course.
Use the gravitational pull of others to propel you forward, while avoiding those who will suck you in and destroy you for their own purposes.
Keep moving forward, toward it.
Weeg
Joe “Weeg” Weigant is a Board Certified Massage Therapist, Holistic Health Authority, Reiki Master Teacher, Herbalist, Metaphysician, and Empowerment Coach. He combines bodywork, energy work, and coaching to improve quality of life by healing from the outside in and from the inside out.
Weeg sells Nature’s Sunshine Products, Pure Herbs Ltd., doTERRA, and Juice Plus+. Weeg suggests lifestyle changes and provides herbal remedies to his clients so they may build new habits for long life and vibrant health. He teaches Karate and Tai Chi, Reiki Certification, as well as seminars and workshops in metaphysical and spiritual matters. Weeg is available for sessions at Tri State Holistic Wellness by appointment only.
Contact by text 812.568.5356, or Facebook Messenger to set an appointment.
Comments