“Master Skywalker, there are too many of them. What are we going to do?” – Jedi Youngling, Star Wars III: Revenge of the Sith
This scene just breaks my heart in Episode 3. The trust in that little kid’s face is so implicit, so complete. He has no idea that he’s about to be destroyed by the very person he has been taught to trust and revere. I know it’s fiction. I’m fully aware that it is nothing more than a scene from a movie, but that little kid’s earnest face has been stuck in my brain ever since I first saw it flick past on the big screen.
It’s funny how little things like that can get wedged into your brain, to pop back up into your consciousness when you least expect it. I don’t know what triggered it just now. I wasn’t sad, upset or feeling betrayed. I just sat down and ‘pop’ there he was, his round little eyes looking for direction and protection.
To take this in a completely depressing direction, here is a link with information about, and some of the signs and symptoms of, Child Abuse and Neglect. If it helps protect even one child, it’s worth the posting. May children everywhere have a safe night tonight.
