Dreams of Our Children Duncan's Baby Yodas January 23, 2020 By

Dreams of Our Children Duncan’s Baby Yodas January 23, 2020 by Tom Deighan Unless you were born in a galaxy far, far away, you know Star Wars, and if you have a daughter with a Disney Channel subscription, you are certainly familiar with Star Wars’ newest story about a lone-wolf warrior. The most memorable character is not the metal clad Mandalorian after whom the show is named. Instead, Baby Yoda steals this show by doing little more than staring blankly at the Mandalorian, but his big, black eyes are so darn cute! He is short, pudgy and green, and because no one knows anything about him, everyone refers to him simply as “the child.” Virtually every other Star Wars character has an elaborate back story, but not the Yodas. George Lucas reportedly strives to keep them shrouded in mystery. Consequently, no one knows the name of their species or which planet they come from . until now, that is! I know the secret of “the child” because a Baby Yoda lives in my house. He hides his identity when everyone else is around, running through the little doggie door and pretending to play with Lamby, but as soon Renee leaves the room, and we are alone, it’s Yoda time. Yes, Yoda is a Chihuahua, or rather, my Chihuahua is a Yoda. Peanut may not be green, but he is short and growing pudgier as he ages. And whenever I walk around the house, he ambles around right behind me, watching and studying me. If I ever look his direction, he is looking up at me with big, adorable black eyes. I do not have a land-cruiser bassinette, however, so I must pick him up when Jawas are afoot (a.k.a. “squirrels”). As soon as Renee reappears, he resumes the Chihuahua charade until we are again alone. Of course, this means I am the Mandalorian of my backyard Star Wars fantasy, but I still contend that my Chihuahua is a Baby Yoda. Those Baby Yoda eyes look up with such wonder and expectation. No wonder “the child” steals the show. Don’t tell Disney or George Lucas, but Duncan is full of baby Yodas. Some of us are blessed enough to see it up close and personal: thousands of little eyes following us all around. Ever watching. Ever trusting. Parents and grandparents know their trusting stare, and they fill the hallways of Duncan Public Schools. If you are blessed enough to be surrounded by so many little watchful eyes, you know what I am talking about. But if you do not feel the warm stare of Duncan’s Little Yodas, this does not mean they are not looking up to you, however. You are a Mandalorian, too. Small towns like Duncan are no longer a dime-a-dozen. Most cities this size are simply lost in a large metro or so isolated and bereft of services that residents might as well move to the megapolis. Duncan, on the other hand, has just about anything you need, including great healthcare, educational institutions, and its own lakes. Duncan’s focus on its children is what makes it truly special, though. This community seems to understand the responsibility of thousands of doe-eyed Yodas following us around and watching every move. Consequently, every Duncanite is a Mandalorian to many Baby Yodas. In a world that increasingly seems to be shirking its responsibility to protect the innocence of the next generation, maybe that is what truly makes Duncan special. Duncan is a community that understands we need to truly protect children from a world that steals childhoods. Children need to wander and wonder like adorable Baby Yodas. Childhood is not something to be exploited, indoctrinated, or groomed. It is something to be nurtured and protected. It cannot be measured in standardized tests or in social media likes. It can only be appreciated in the infinite wonder captured in the eyes of our thousands of Baby Yodas. May “the child” always steal the show for Duncan, and may we always be the Mandalorians who protect their innocence. .

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