November 15-19 is Anti-Bullying Week at the schools. Like so many others, I have been reading with dismay about the recent victims of bullying, and I ache inside for the pain these young people have experienced.
I have often thought of bullying as a problem that faces children older than mine, but a recent conversation with my first grader has given me pause. Maybe it starts right here, right now with our little ones.
At summer's end, Katie and I went to Target to pick out her backpack, lunchbox and water bottle for the new school year. After great deliberation, she chose a Star Wars water bottle to match her Star Wars backpack.
Katie loves Star Wars, and she was very excited about her new items. For the first few months of school, she proudly filled her water bottle herself and helped me pack her lunch each morning.
But a week ago, as we were packing her lunch, Katie said, "My Star Wars water bottle is too small. It doesn't hold enough water. Can I take a different one?" She searched through the cupboard until she found a pink water bottle and said, "I'll bring this."
I was perplexed. "Katie, that water bottle is no bigger than your Star Wars one. I think it is actually smaller."
"It's fine, I'll just take it," she insisted.
I kept pushing the issue, because it didn't make sense to me. Suddenly, Katie burst into tears.
She wailed, "The first grade boys are teasing me at lunch because I have a Star Wars water bottle. They say it's only for boys. Every day they make fun of me for drinking out of it. I want them to stop, so I'll just bring a pink water bottle."
I hugged her hard and felt my heart sink. Such a tender young age, and already she is embarrassed about the water bottle that brought her so much excitement and joy a few months ago.
Is this how it starts? Do kids find someone who does something differently and start to beat it out of her, first with words and sneers? Must my daughter conform to be accepted?
The confusing part for me is that I know these first grade boys. I can't simply see them as random mean boys bullying my baby. They are good kids individually, and Katie often plays happily with them.
But when you put the boys together in a pack, maybe they start to feel vulnerable and insecure, which causes them to do unkind things, such as tease my daughter for carrying a Star Wars water bottle.
Maybe they do it to get laughs out of each other. Maybe they do it because if they are busy teasing Katie, nobody will tease one of them. Maybe they do it because they want her attention and have limited social skills at this age.
"Katie, it is okay to be different. Not all girls need to drink out of pink water bottles," I told her.
"I don't want to be too different," Katie lamented. "I'm already different. Nobody else in my class wears glasses or a patch, and nobody else was adopted. Now I'm even more different, because of my Star Wars water bottle."
Katie cannot control the fact that she is different due to adoption or poor eyesight. But she can control what accessories she carries to school, and she is trying to exercise that control. She has learned that there are degrees of being different, and she wants to minimize how different she is.
Being different is a complicated topic. We say that we celebrate diversity, and we preach tolerance. But at the same time, we as adults are often fearful of those who are different. I see people tease each other for being gay or poor or overweight. I see grown-ups bullying others for holding different religious and political beliefs.
I see people publicly lauding diversity and privately attacking those who are different.
It trickles down to kids teasing each other for the types of toys they prefer. So it starts now, with a couple first graders and a water bottle. Right here, right now, we as a community need to recognize the slippery slope of bullying those who are different. We need to show our support for each other's choices, as long as they do no harm.
I talked to Katie about all my musings. Talking about it is the best defense. I have urged her to bring the Star Wars water bottle if that is what she really wants to do, even if it makes her different. Today, she felt brave enough to bring it. I hope that she is able to eat her lunch without feeling nervous.
I would love to be able to show Katie that she is not alone, that other females appreciate Star Wars. If there are any female Star Wars fans reading this, please feel free to show your support for Katie. I will let her read your messages or comments, and I think she will be surprised by what I suspect is a vast number of female fans.
And if you have a little boy out there who wants to carry a pink water bottle, tell him about Katie and reassure him that if she can carry a "boy" water bottle, he can carry a "girl" water bottle. Let's help all our kids grow into confident adults who can appreciate being different.
* * * *
Wow! Katie is overjoyed by the comments coming in!!! My sweet first grade daughter has been sitting with me at the computer, reading aloud all the wonderful, supportive notes from readers, and her face is shining. Each night after dinner, we are going to sit together, and she is going to read several comments to me and her daddy. We are going to print the comments out and make a book for her to read whenever she feels the need. Today she wore a Star Wars shirt to school and said to me, "Tell the people about it!!!!" This is really restoring her self confidence. She did a jaunty little pirouette in her Star Wars shirt before school. Thank you, Carrie
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Filed under: adoption, anti-bullying, Star Wars
Hi, Katie! I'm a woman and I like Star Wars! I remember seeing The Return of the Jedi with my family, playing with the action figures, and reading books based on the stories. It's a good story, and boys don't get to tell you what stuff you're allowed to like.
You listen to your heart. If your heart says, "I like this!" but some other kid says "that's for boys," you know they're not correct, because you're a girl and whatever you like is fine!
Thanks, Andrea. I read this to Katie! She had a big smile!
Yay!
I think Katie just went viral... :)
I know!!! And you were her first supporter here, so thank you!
I'm not a girl but I do have alot of star wars books and an R2-D2 Puzzle I would like to send to you. I've been wanting to give them away to someone but I couldn't think of any one who liked Star Wars, then I heard about you through Felicia Day, one of my favorite actors. So if it is okay I would like to give you these books.
Hi, Katie! I'm so glad to hear you are letting those boys keep you away from enjoying Star Wars. I am a 24 year old woman and Star Wars is not the only thing I like that is supposed to be "only for boys". I like all type of action movies, video games that are "for boys" and I've even beat boys in sports and games so just be happy with whatever you want. It doesn't really matter what they say because most of the time, like your mom said, it's done in an effort to deflect attention. Do what makes you happy not what makes them happy :D
Dear Katie,
I am a Star Wars fan and I know many other girls who are also fans. I grew up watching the movies with my parents and big brother. Do not be afraid to be yourself, you bring value to this world!
May the force be with you sweetie,
M
Hi, Katie! I'm 32 years old and have loved Star Wars since I was a little girl. I used to love pretending the scene from A New Hope when they were stuck in the trash compactor. I was always Luke. :) I proudly wore a Star Wars shirt when my husband and I went to see Episode 1 in the theaters. Now I have two little boys (both are adopted!) who love Star Wars and are teaching me all about the Clone Wars. I know my boys would just love to know there's an awesome little girl out there who is adopted like them and that loves Star Wars like they do! :) I think you're awesome, too!
Miss Katie,
What a wonderful girl you are! Nowadays, I just do not understand what makes kids do these types of actions. Bullying is not okay and definitely should not be left alone. I am 17 years old and I am proud to say that I am one hardcore star wars geek! Mr. Lucas (creator of Star Wars) did not create it just for boys, he made it for the general audience! I know the whole trilogy by heart, have read the books and even play all of the video games. I have always had a knack for star wars, batman, power rangers - everything a boy would love haha. Even now I cannot get enough of it!
What these bullies did to you was not necessary. When I was a child, I was also bullied. The bullying was really severe when I was in kindergarten and 1st grade. I felt so alone because my parents were divorced. My dad was working all the time so I did not have someone to turn to. You are a beautiful girl and very lucky to have so many people to support you!
When I look back at it, I laugh it off because those kids who used to bully me, are now the kids who get into alot of trouble and have no friends. Also not to mention, I somehow grew really tall so now I am twice their size :) You are who you are and a couple of kids should not make you feel uncomfortable with yourself.
Just keep your head up, stay positive and enjoy life! Those kids who bully you, will never be the great person you are. Bully-free and Star Wars for life!
- Kim
Hello Katie,
I am a woman that is a Star Wars fan too. My parents first took me to see it in 1977 and from then on, my walls were covered with Star Wars posters and I collected all of the action figures(which I still have and show off proudly). Star Wars isn't just for boys, it's for everyone. Princess Leia and Padme are wonderful role models for girls to grow up strong and fight for what they believe in. So, if you want to carry a Star Wars back pack and water bottle, then do it. Be proud of it. Those boys will look back and realize how cool you are for having these things. You are a beautiful young lady that knows what she likes. Don't let anyone tell you that you can't like something.
Katie,
I know how you feel. Not only was I different when I was younger, but I also have a boys name! The boys at school would tease me all the time for it, and I would cry and wish I could change my name to Brittany or Jessica, something like the other girls had. But as I got older, I realized that I really liked being different, and now I love my name! I'm happy that I have a boys name, and I'm proud of who it has made me. Never be afraid of what you like or who you are!
- Stevi
P.S. I like Star Wars too!!! I make Chewbacca noises with my dog all the time!
Star Wars Rocks and don't let anyone tell you differently. When I was in 3rd grade, I wore glasses, dinosaur sneakers, and was reading bigger books than I could carry and people said i was weird. I also had a Star Trek lunch box that I rocked everyday. Now, one of the boys that said I was just a nerd, happens to be my boyfriend, 20 years after he thought I wasn't cool.
Nerds rule this world. I am so unbelievably excited that you are able to recognize the amazing epic that is Star Wars and think those boys are just jealous and probably need to out grow their cooties.
Trust us, you are pretty cool in our eyes.
Man, I wish I'd had a whole bunch of random people telling me how awesome I am when I was younger. If I could go back and change one thing about my life, it would be the lack of self-confidence from a young age. Here's what I wish someone had told me sooner (so I didn't have to learn it later!), to not just Katie, but anyone who happens to read this: you are awesome. Even if you don't see it now, someday you will have amazing people around you who not only accept you, but get you. So, don't dare try to be anything other than what you want to be, your future friends will be missing out!
As for where self-confidence comes from, if you believe you're awesome, you are awesome. If you don't completely believe it, but tell yourself that it's true, it eventually becomes true. If someone tells you that you're not cool for any reason, it may not be because you intimidate them, but it's only as true as you allow it to be. The only thing you can really do about those doubts you have about yourself is ignore them--actively decide not to pay attention--because some of them will never leave regardless of how much people tell you they love you. Self-doubt is the most resilient psychological force I've encountered.
Hi Katie!
Let me tell you, I'm a 44 year old girl (I'm still a kid at heart)and I LOVE Star Wars. I used to wear the t-shirt all the time. I had the lunch box, the backpack and the pajamas. Sometimes boys can be mean about things like that, but I really think it's because they wish they had the Star Was thermos too. Don't ever change who you are to fit in with other people. You will fit in with a lot more friends being just the way you are. You definitely have the Force with YOU Katie. Keep smiling that beautiful smile of yours. Oh, and you are not different for wearing glasses and being adopted... you are SPECIAL and UNIQUE. Did I mention that I was Darth Vadar for halloween one year. Ha,ha,ha,ha... I loved scaring the boys!
Hi Katie! I have LOVED Star Wars since the first movie in the 1970's (and yes, I did see the first run in the theaters!). I cried twice the first time I saw Empire Strikes Back (first for freezing Han Solo & second for Luke losing his hand). I, too, wore Star Wars t-shirts to middle school and I even built a model of the Millennium Falcon like boys built model cars, with real modelers glue! My prize possession was a Luke Skywalker jacket purchased by mail order from the official Star Wars club! I still have some of that stuff and of course I have the movies.
PLEASE do not let anyone tell you you're not supposed to have those things. Now, a couple of those things are collector's items (so who's laughing in the end!)! While it is terribly hard for you while you're in school (and the pressure to conform will continue through high school), remember that once you get out into the real world as an adult, all of this will go away. The only thing that won't change is you - you will always have to be yourself, so don't let anyone EVER pressure you to be someone you're not. Trust me, that's good advice to take through life!
Btw, I am a Star Wars purist. The last three movies were good, but the first three are still the GREATEST!! I had a HUGE crush on Luke Skywalker when I was a kid and now as an adult, I have a MONSTER crush on Han Solo (Harrison Ford). Goes to show, once Star Wars is in your blood, you never get rid of it!! :-D
Hi Katie!
I'm a girl in my 30s, and I love Star Wars. It's one of the things I remember most fondly about my childhood, because it was something I did with my dad. (We also watched Star Trek, Dune, and all kinds of other science fiction shows!)
When I was in my teens, I started going to conventions and meeting other people - other girls, too - that loved Star Wars as much as me. And I learned that there's a huge, vibrant, happy group of powerful, funny, smart, cute, brave girls who love science fiction in all forms.
These days, all my friends - guys and girls - love Star Wars (and Star Trek, Firefly, Tron, and other stuff). Including my niece, a little girl who was adopted from China. She has a Star Wars backpack, too - and she uses it every day in school. :-)
Remember what Yoda said - Anger, fear, aggression. The dark side are they. Don't be afraid, and don't be angry, at the boys who're teasing you. They're just having their own issues with the dark side.
Hi Katie,
In 1977 I was seven years old and that summer Star Wars played in the theaters. A few months later for Halloween I was Darth Vader. My mom made my costume, I was and continue to be very proud of that costume. We bought the mask, but my mom made me a jump-suit and a cape. I still have the mask.
When Empire Strikes Back came out I got the lunch box/thermos that had Darth Vader, Luke and a lot of Storm Troopers.
I am now forty years old, I have degree in visual arts, I have worked in schools and museums as well as computers. I work both men and women. In my office I have that lunch box sitting proudly on my bookshelf, battered and very used, but there. I also have a Darth Vader glass from my childhood and couple Star Wars Pez on my desk. I'm sure I get a few strange looks from time to tine, but mostly I get comments from people, men and women, about how cool it is that I still have some of these things from my childhood, they all remember them. Many of people comment that they wanted those items when they were young and never got them or have long ago lost theirs.
Sometimes people are afraid to be themselves and find it easier to follow than lead. Don't be afraid to be yourself and lead. Don't let anyone tell you "that is a boy thing" if you like it is a "Katie thing".
Keep doing what makes you happy Katie.
Katie, you have gone viral beyond description!
I've been sitting here trying to figure out what to write, and to pass on great words of wisdom to you so that you may gather strength from them and essentially just kick butt in being yourself, but its kinda hard to do so when thousands of other people have probably done it better :)
So instead I'll just tell you my story, and how I managed to defeat the evil bullies in my school when I was your age (maybe a little older actually...).
I grew up loving Star Wars and back in the early 90s they would show the movies on TV ALL THE TIME which was great for me seeing how I didn't own a copy of the movies.
One Christmas my dad got me the Original Trilogy on VHS (ask your parents to explain what that is if don't know lol) and must have watched those movies a million times over, to the point where I knew them completely by heart. I was in Star Wars Heaven!!
I also had the action figures, little model kits, stickers and books like you wouldn't believe!!! I even had a C-3PO piggy bank! I was a Star Wars Fan!!
Well I go back to school and my fellow students just couldn't understand what was so amazing about a galaxy far far away, and they would bother me about it to the point of tears. I didn't want to go back to school, I didn't even want to watch the movies any more...I felt ashamed, I felt weird...I felt like I was just wrong. My mom tried to help, telling me not to listen to them and to just be myself. To remember that Princess Leia wouldn't take any of the bullying and neither would Darth Vader, but I still felt...bad.
The one day my class had a field trip to see an Orchestra play some fancy classical music, and the final piece for the concert was supposed to be something by Beethoven I think.
Now not only am I Star Wars fan, but I'm a Cellist too and I LOVE classical music and seeing orchestras play, but I was in such a bad mood because of everything that I wasn't even enjoying myself on the field trip.
But when it came to that final piece, that piece that was supposed to a Beethoven piece...You could probably imagine my surprise when the Conductor announced that there was a change in the program and because everyone in the Orchestra was such a fan (and the movies were coming out again in theaters) they were going to play the theme to STAR WARS!!!!!!!!!!!
Everyone in my class could not believe it, and I was in shock.
I'm getting goose bumps now thinking about it!
Those few minutes watching the Orchestra that famous tune just lifted my heart and my spirit that no matter what happened in the coming days or the rest of my life I knew that I was not alone and that there were other star wars fans out there just like me!
And just like you, we are all here. Give you support and love and telling you that no matter where you are and what you're feeling there is always someone out there who has your back. And the Star Wars community has your back.
So go to school with your lunch box and backpack and whatever else you may like and be proud of who you are and know that we are all behind you :)
May the Force be with you...always
~Gabriela from Miami
I've always loved Star Wars! I got teased a lot. I was and still am really weird, but now I know it and I embrace it and people actually like to be around me now that I'm more confident. I think you are beautiful just by looking at your picture, kiddo! Just FYI, the kids who teased me in school are all losers now. some are in jail, some have many rotten kids and rotten husbands. NONE of them are as happy as me. I am a VERY successful car salesperson now and am very popular because I'm a girl who loves cars. Be different, be confident, and know you'll always be God's princess! Not everyone has the strength to be different! Keep it up!
Hi Katie!
Let me tell you, I'm a 44 year old girl (I'm still a kid at heart)and I LOVE Star Wars. I used to wear the t-shirt all the time. I had the lunch box, the backpack and the pajamas. Sometimes boys can be mean about things like that, but I really think it's because they wish they had the Star Was thermos too. Don't ever change who you are to fit in with other people. You will fit in with a lot more friends being just the way you are. You definitely have the Force with YOU Katie. Keep smiling that beautiful smile of yours. Oh, and you are not different for wearing glasses and being adopted... you are SPECIAL and UNIQUE. Did I mention that I was Darth Vadar for halloween one year. Ha,ha,ha,ha... I loved scaring the boys!
I think it's awesome that you have a Star Wars water bottle, Katie!
When I was a little girl, I had Star Wars Underoos. Underoos were sort of like a matching pair of underwear and an undershirt. I had a set that looked like Wonder Woman's costume. Then I had a set with R2D2 and C3PO. The Star Wars set was my favorite! I also like Star Trek. Sometimes, kids made fun of me for that. But there were more kids who thought it was great that I could draw the Starship Enterprise and knew how to do the Vulcan salute.
I like a lot of things some people might think aren't for girls. I really love science, computers, and math. Some people say girls aren't good at those things. Marie Curie was a great scientist, and Ada Lovelace was a great mathematician... and they were both girls! And I wear glasses. I tried to wear contacts for a while, but they weren't comfortable and everybody said I just don't look right to them without my glasses. The glasses are part of me. :)
You are a beautiful girl, Katie. :) Exactly the way you are, inside and out.
Hi Katie! I'm also a Katie. I'm 23 years old, and I also wear glasses and I also love Star Wars. I even once went as Princess Leia for Halloween! When I was your age, I had a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles lunch box and water bottle. The Ninja Turtles were also supposed to be for boys, and some of the boys made fun of me for it too. It upset me, but every time they did it, I just looked at my water bottle and thought about how happy it made me. Eventually they got tired of teasing me and as I've grown up, I've found there are a lot of girls that like things supposedly "meant for boys," and that a lot of boys appreciate being friends with girls who like some of the same things they do. My boyfriend, Aaron, also like Star Wars and it was one of the things that helped us to become close friends when we first met in high school. Boys can be really mean, but you just have to keep on smiling and tell them that Star Wars is not just for boys and that you like your water bottle. We Katies know that Star Wars is totally for girls too, and one day those boys will realize just how wrong they are.
Fear not! The Force is strong with you. ;)
Hi Katie -- I'm a girl who likes Star Wars and my daughter who is also a first grader loves Star Wars too. She wore a Darth Vader costume for Halloween this year. She's been teased for it too, but we tell her that it's okay to like whatever you want. It doesn't make you less of a girl to like something that boys typically like; it just makes you a girl who is smart enough to know what you like and strong enough to let the world know it. Keep on rockin' your Star Wars gear! :)
Message from my 10 year old daughter:
Hi. I like Star Wars too. I think it's fine for anybody to like Star Wars. I even have a Star Wars t-shirt.
My message: Kids who make fun of you have the problem, not you. Maybe they are embarrassed about something they like. Maybe they have a mean mom and dad. Maybe no ever told them that they were special. You are special. You are a beautiful little girl with cute glasses and an awesome Star Wars bottle. I'm 35 years old, and my water bottle is covered in pictures of the Muppets. Some grown-ups might think that is silly, but I think they are funny, and the bottle makes me happy. I was bullied A LOT in school. Kids made fun of my clothes, my bag, and my name (to name a few things). There was nothing wrong with me, but I didn't realize that until I was in college. I don't want you to wait until you are eighteen to know that. Parents know the most about their kids, so listen to them! When your parents tell you that you are special and wonderful the way you are, believe them. They know more than some sad bully at school. And the adopted part? That just means that you know for sure that your parents dreamed of you before you were born. They planned for you and wanted you and adore you, so much that they worked extra hard to bring you home.
Hey there Katie!
I'm Mike, and while I'm not a girl by any means, I think it's cool you're into Star Wars. As you can tell by all the comments before mine, there are plenty of girls that love Star Wars. I, too, love the movie series, among other things. And, while I was picked on for liking that stuff when I was smaller, I still like it to this day and even sometimes wear it on my sleeve (Literally, even! I own a few geeky T-shirts that I proudly wear!). Eventually, as I grew up, I realized I couldn't let people tell me what to like and what not to like.
So while I don't have a Star Wars story to tell, I'll leave you with this: I'm glad you were able to be a brave girl and brought that water bottle to school and I'm sure your mom is incredibly proud of you for doing so!
Hey Katie!
I'm a guy but I wanted to let you know that some of the coolest girls I know love Star Wars! And don't be afraid of being different, because it's the differences that make us who we are. It's what makes our stories so unique. Even though you're still young, I'd say you have a pretty cool story so far!
Hi Katie!
Let me tell you, I'm a 44 year old girl (I'm still a kid at heart)and I LOVE Star Wars. I used to wear the t-shirt all the time. I had the lunch box, the backpack and the pajamas. Sometimes boys can be mean about things like that, but I really think it's because they wish they had the Star Was thermos too. Don't ever change who you are to fit in with other people. You will fit in with a lot more friends being just the way you are. You definitely have the Force with YOU Katie. Keep smiling that beautiful smile of yours. Oh, and you are not different for wearing glasses and being adopted... you are SPECIAL and UNIQUE. Did I mention that I was Darth Vadar for halloween one year. Ha,ha,ha,ha... I loved scaring the boys!
Katie,
It's ok to be different! Not only was I "weird" when I was little, but I have a boys name! They would tease me all the time about it, and I would cry. I told my mom I wished my name was Jessica or Brittany, something like the other girls had. But as I got older, I realized that I liked being different. Don't let anyone else tell you what you can and can't like! Just be yourself!
-Stevi
P.S. I like Star Wars too! I make Chewbacca noises with my dog all the time!
Hi Katie,
I am also a Star Wars fan and I know many other girls that are also fans. I grew up watching the movies with my parents and big brother. Don't be afraid to be yourself, you bring value to this world!
~M
Katie,
I am a boy, but I was touched by your story. Everyone has feelings and shame on those boys for hurting yours!
I bet if those boys asked George Lucas he would say "Star Wars is for everybody!"
Actually, there are so many girl Star Wars fans that the voice of Ahsoka on the Clone Wars, Ashley Eckstein, created an entire line of Star Wars Clothing just for girls! It is called "Her Universe"
Here is a link: http://heruniverse.com
I am going to send your story to them!
I hope you know you are a brave and cool young lady and many Star Wars fans, boys and girls, kids and adults think so too!
May the Force Be With You,
John
johnston,Iowa
Star Wars was one of my fave movie series growing up! I was also a huge fan of Indiana Jones and Alien.
I just found these the other day and even though I'm long grown up I still wanted these Light Saber Chop Sticks: http://www.thinkgeek.com/geektoys/japanfan/c50f/
I was bullied as a kid and it was really hard to stand up to it, I eventually did after tolerating it for far too long and it was such a weight off my shoulders. It really does get better... May the force be with you! :D
Dear Katie,
what makes you different is what makes you special. Never forget that. I am lucky enough to have four beautiful daughters who are all unique in their own special way, but one shines a little brighter than the others and there is only one reason for that. She has learnt to be herself and never appologise for who she is. She rides skateboards and catches butterflys and dyes her hair red and laughs loud. She wears stockings with little silvery skulls on them she reads manga. She is the most happy person I know because she is herself at all times and never tries to change herself for others. Remember to be you and you will shine the brightest, just like my daughter.
Jess from Australia
Hi, Katie! I'm a 32 year old who has liked Star Wars since I was a little girl. I loved pretending the scene from A New Hope where they were stuck in the trash compactor. I was always Luke. :) I proudly wore a Star Wars shirt when my husband and I saw Episode 1 in the theater. Now I have two little boys (both are adopted!) who love Star Wars. They are teaching me about the Clone Wars. I think they would think it's so cool that there's a little girl out there who is adopted like they are and especially who loves Star Wars like they do! I think you're pretty awesome, too!
Dear Katie,
I am a girl, and I grew up loving Star Wars. The very first time I saw it on TV, I knew it was just the best thing in the entire world, and I wanted everything Star Wars I could possibly find.
Unfortunately, I discovered Star Wars when it was very unpopular, so there weren't many Star Wars toys or lunch boxes to be had. I would have been so happy to have a Star Wars back pack, and a Star Wars water bottle!
Some of the boys were mean to me too, because I liked stuff that they considered to be "boy" things. I liked Batman and Transformers and GI Joe too. And I liked My Little Pony (Morning Glory is still my favorite), too, so I couldn't just pretend I was one of the guys.
It got harder in high school, when the boys were even meaner to me because I liked a bunch of "boy" things, but I didn't always like them in the same exact way the boys did. Sometimes I pretended like I did like Star Wars and Batman and Transformers and Doctor Who, but I wasn't very happy. And sometimes I pretended that I liked them in exactly the same way the boys did, but I wasn't happy doing that, either. It took me a long time to figure out that I was happiest enjoying the things I liked, and enjoying them just the way I enjoyed them! So like what you want, and don't be afraid to show it!
And those people who were mean to me? I don't see them any more. I fond someone who likes me just the way I am, and he likes Star Wars and Batman and Doctor Who too. It's the best thing in the world to be married to someone who likes the same stuff that you do, because we always have someone to talk to about your favorite things! We keep all of our lightsabers and Star Wars weapons in a box in the dining room, and all of our Star Wars action figures are in a big Darth Vader case in the kitchen.
Also, when I got older, I started meeting girls from around the country, and right in my area, that liked the same things that I did, and they liked the same things about them! We all became good friends, and we get together a couple times of year at science fiction conventions so that we can talk about Star Wars and Batman and Doctor Who together. We're getting together next weekend to talk about nerdy things in Chicago, too! If your mom will bring you, you're welcome to visit Chicago Tardis (it's a Doctor Who convention, but we all like Star Wars too!), and see all the girls there, dressed up in costumes of our favorite characters, talking on stage about our favorite things, and hanging out together, having fun. If you can't make it, keep looking online, there will be tons of pictures posted, and you can see that there are a lot of nerdy girls out there! Until then, do a Google Image Search (with mom's help, of course!) for "Dragon*Con." It's a convention that happens every year, and people dress up as their favorite characters. See if you can count just how many girls and women are dressed up as Star Wars characters...it's a lot!
One of them, my friend Tara, likes a lot of things, like Star Wars and Star Trek. She even made a Star Trek doll for a friend, and went dressed as a Star Trek character for Halloween! She even edited a book called "Chicks Dig Time Lords," which is just about us girls, and how much we love Doctor Who. I even have a comic that I wrote, in the book! She decided to write the book because there were so many people who thought that Doctor Who was just for boys. She wanted to let them know that Doctor Who was for everybody, including girls, just like Star Wars is for everybody, including girls!
I got to meet a lot of really neat people, including my husband, because I was a girl who liked stuff like Star Wars. I found friends who were girls that all liked the same things I did, and all of those people who were mean to me aren't even a blip on my radar. I know it's not easy to be bullied and picked on. And I know that it's never right for people to do it, but I also know that you are pretty cool and awesome, from what your mom has been saying on here, and you will get through this!
May the Force Be With You!
--Tammy
PS, my favorite character is Aayla Secura, which one is yours? If you and your mom ever want to talk with me or my friends, let me know!
Hi Katie, do not get discouraged by people who think you should be something else or like other things. They do you rule you. Be happy with those who will support you. Stand strong to yourself there are others with you.
Katie,
Star Wars is LOADED with strong female characters. Princess Leia, Padme Amidala, Aayla Secura, Mon Mothma and everyone's favorite Padawan, Ahsoka Tano.
These are just a small fraction of the Female characters in the Star Wars Universe that without them, it would be NOTHING! You're fandom is not only wanted, it's needed! Without girls you, Star Wars can't survive. Being an Artist who essentially makes his living drawing Star Wars characters, I can tell you when I make appearances at Conventions, my most requested characters to draw are Princess Leia, Padme, Aayla Secura and MOST of all, Ahsoka!
Don't let those boys get you down! Be strong and let the Force be with you... always.
Tom Hodges
Artist: Clone Wars Web Comic, starwars.com
Katie! You rock! And Geek girls rule! Sweetie, you love Star Wars and you keep loving Star Wars as long as you want. Don't let a bunch of silly boys take that away from you. They can't if you don't let them. You like what you like, and that's what makes you Katie. Nobody else can be you, and that's pretty special. :)
I'm a 41 year-old woman and you know what? I not only like science fiction, I write it. Sometimes they even publish it and put it in bookstores. :) When I was your age, I wanted to be an astronaut. I couldn't go into space myself, so I wrote about flying in space instead. One of the first stories I wrote was about a girl who was a Jedi in training. No lie. Back when Return of the Jedi came out, you know who took me to see it? My mom. Not my stepdad, but my mom. Just the two of us, no boys allowed.
Star Wars is part of what makes you an awesome little girl, Katie. So are those wicked cool glasses! I've had glasses for as long as I can remember, too. Being different is a really good thing. If we were all the same, wouldn't it be boring? Who'd want that? I know I wouldn't. You keep rocking that Star Wars shirt to school, and when those silly boys tell you Star Wars is just for boys? You know for a fact that it's for girls, too. You remember that you're a great, awesomely cool geek girl. And you're not alone. Look at how many of us are here if you need proof of that. Geek girls may fight over Star Wars versus Star Trek, but if there's one thing we pretty much all come together on? It's supporting another geek girl when she needs it. :)
Katie, you are seriously awesome. Never forget that. I'll bet Princess Leia would be very proud of you. The Force will be with you, always. :)
As a mom this broke my heart but as a Star Wars love it made me mad. I too have a little girl that likes Star Wars although she likes the dark side. Just to make you smile is a picture of my little girl on Halloween as Darth Vader.
[IMG]http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa60/racheljantilla/darth.jpg[/IMG]
goosh sorry wrong link >.<
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa60/racheljantilla/darth.jpg
Katie,
I'm a college student and I am in the school of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. Talk about a boy field!! The great thing though is you have to know you are not the only one. I'm in a sorority of a 100 girl engineers and have tons more that are friends not in my sorority! They are all girls that love to do a man's job in engineering. Nothing says you can't like boy things and be a girl as well. I dress up and do my make up, but I also love cars and motorcycles and can sometimes explain better how an engine works than a lot of boys. Trust me you are not alone and you are surely not the first or last girl who likes "boys'" toys.
Be strong and let them know that you are a girl who likes star wars!!!
-From a fellow Katie :)
PS We have an awesome name.
wrong link sorry here you go.
http://i200.photobucket.com/albums/aa60/racheljantilla/darth.jpg
Hi, Katie! I am twenty years old and I love Star Wars! Do what makes you happy - the happiest girls are the prettiest girls!
Hey Katie! My name's Paige, and I'm a freshman girl in college who loves Star Wars! My favorite thing to do is watch it with my little brother- he has autism, and while he's high functioning kids sometimes are really unkind to him. Do you watch the Clone Wars? Me and my friends (all girls!) get together and watch it every Friday, maybe you'll be watching at the same time. Remember that any kid who would tease you for liking Star Wars would make a terrible Jedi- they don't have your strength and your lightsaber skills. More than anything, don't feel like the only girl who likes sci-fi-- there are enough female Star Wars fans that they have their own store! Mary Shelley was the lady who helped define science fiction as we know it today by writing Frankenstein, and who knows? Maybe you'll be the next great mind to shape the genre!
Awww... Katie... I bet I was in first grade when I saw Star Wars for the first time. And who says a girl can't love that movie? Haven't they seen Princess Leia? She's a girl and she's an awesome one!
And I'm going to tell you something...try to remember it if you can... there's nothing wrong with being a little bit different. Because we're all a little bit different, know that?
Different is what makes each of us special. And sometimes, that difference is what makes some people even more special. You're probably going to be one of those people, because you're already cool enough to love something as awesome as Star Wars.
I don't know if anybody who has mentioned this, but there's an entire website dedicated to Star Wars stuff just for girls-do a google for Her Universe. If it wasn't OKAY for girls, they wouldn't make stuff just for us. ;)
Hi Katie!
Let me tell you, I'm a 44 year old girl (I'm still a kid at heart)and I LOVE Star Wars. I used to wear the t-shirt all the time. I had the lunch box, the backpack and the pajamas. Sometimes boys can be mean about things like that, but I really think it's because they wish they had the Star Was thermos too. Don't ever change who you are to fit in with other people. You will fit in with a lot more friends being just the way you are. You definitely have the Force with YOU Katie. Keep smiling that beautiful smile of yours. Oh, and you are not different for wearing glasses and being adopted... you are SPECIAL and UNIQUE. Did I mention that I was Darth Vadar for halloween one year. Ha,ha,ha,ha... I loved scaring the boys!
Persevere you must. The best confidence builder is experience. Never forget, the force is within you.
Hi Katie,
I'm a boy but I wanted to let you know it's great that you're a Star Wars fan. You're young and already have great taste in movies!
Those boys that are making fun of you must be forgetting about all the cool girls in Star Wars. Leia, Queen Amidala, and a few female Jedi would probably have a few things to say to those boys. Plus they could kick their behinds too!
Katie, this is for you
Katie,
You look so much like me at your age! I wish I had been half as brave as you. When the other girls were buying unicorn and tiger folders, I always secretly wanted the ones with Star Wars and Star Trek on them. I was a victim of both family and social pressure to be as pink and perfect as possible. You're so very lucky to have a mommy who supports your passion. It wasn't until I was a 4th grader (I know! old!) that I started being brave enough to go and get the 'geeky' lunchboxes, and never looked back. Today, I have two bumper stickers on my car. "My other ride is a Constitution Class Star Ship" and "Sure, it looks slow, but it can make the Kessel Run in under 12 parsecs."
Remember, hun, it is the geek who shall inherit the earth. Actually, scratch that, we already own it. For we, and no other, are gifted with a unique awesome at birth that others envy.
Hey Katie,
I'm 26 year old girl and I LOVE Star Wars and I just married a boy and he loves Star Wars too! I am very proud to be a geeky girl who loves all sorts of things, like movies, games, animals and outer space. The reason I like Star Wars so much is because Padme and Leia are strong, beautiful and amazing women, who are great role models! My husband has 27 star wars shirts and I have a few too! Here's a picture of me in my favorite Star Wars shirt http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=4574079&l=72b004d81d&id=505613807 The picture was taken at a comic book convention and I am standing besides a life-sized Lego C-3PO!! And you know what? I got to meet the girl that does the voice for Ahsoka from the Clone Wars cartoon and she started a cool clothing line for girls just like us! Its called Her Universe http://heruniverseshop.com/
Wear your Star Wars tee shirt and drink out of that cool water bottle proudly because you have so many girls of all ages supporting you!
<3 Anne
Oh by the way...I have my own trading card...have marched in the Disney Hollywood Studios Star Wars Weekends parades for 4 years in a row, have been in the newspaper, on tv, in magazines for charity work,and many other things all because of my involvement with Star Wars...
Sweet girl, you keep rocking the Star Wars swag!
I told my little boys about you. They are 9 and 6. They said, "I would totally want to eat lunch with her! Girls don't have to be pink monsters. Tell her that, Mom. And that I like her glasses (9 yr old)." He wears glasses, too. :)
I know you've had a million awesome women tell you this already but you are an amazing, awesome individual. There isn't another like you anywhere. And this is a FANTASTIC thing! How dull and boring would the world be if we were all alike? If every chick on the planet was decked out in pink from head to toe and every boy was wearing all blue...crazy, huh?!
:virtual fist bump:
Hey Katie! Don't worry, you're not the only girl Star Wars fan. When I was your age, I had way more Star Wars toys than Barbie dolls and my sister and I watched those movies every chance we got. I'm 24 years old now and I still love Star Wars.
Don't let those silly little boys bother you for having awesome taste in movies! They just don't know how to handle a cool little girl who likes the same stuff they do...And don't let them tell you it's "just for boys." It's for everybody who likes Luke Skywalker and Yoda and everything else about Star Wars.
My sister and I want to know - Do you like Luke or Han more? We have a disagreement over who is better, maybe you can help us solve the problem. :)
Dear Katie,
My name is Katie, too! We even spell it the same way! I am a HUGE Star Wars fan! I have been since I was about your age. I went through some of the very same things you're going through now. It got to the point where I was PROUD to be a girl and a Star Wars fan! When we would play a game where we would say an unusual fact about ourselves, mine would always be that my favorite movies ever are Star Wars. It is stil, to this day, my favorite movie series ever. Don't ever be ashamed of what you love, and don't let the people around you control what you love. Wishing you well, and keep loving Star Wars! I know I sure do!
Love,
Katie
P.S. I wish I had a cool Star Wars backpack, lunch box, and water bottle. Keep it up! ;)
Hi Katie!
I'm a girl who loves Doctor Who AND I'm a Computer Programmer! I usually work with ALL boys and they sometimes like to make fun of me for liking Doctor Who so much! My daddy introduced me to Doctor Who when I was two and showed me how to use a computer, so I don't care what they think and neither should you! I think it's awesome when a girl likes non-girly things and isn't afraid to show it!
Erin
P.S. I married a Star Wars/Star Trek geek. We like to watch Star Wars together.
Hi Katie!
My fianc
ups! the link didn't showed up. Try this: go to www. flickr. com / kurakensama / 4689419665/ (without spaces) I think you'll like it :)
Hi Katie! I am a 26 year old girl who also wears glasses (since 1st grade) and Star Wars fan (since 4th grade). My dad showed me A New Hope and I immediately wanted to see more - he said he had to wait for 3 years to see Empire Strikes Back, so I could at least wait a week until we could rent the next movie. That Halloween I dressed up as Princess Leia. My mom did my just like her! It was so fun. When I got to high school and got my first car, I put the key on a chain with Boba Fett (my favorite character) on it. Some people didn't think that was all that cool - but I didn't think THEY were all that cool! Then, when I got to college, I even found someone who wanted to dress up as Han Solo and go with me to a costume party while I dressed up like Princess Leia. We went as Leia and Han on Hoth (I live in a cold city, but not as cold as Hoth!) and had a great time - one of my all-time favorite Halloweens ever! Katie, I think you sound like a pretty cool girl and who knows what she likes. Keep it up - it might be hard today, or tomorrow, but one day, you'll realize you're one of the lucky ones for being who YOU want to be.
Hi Katie,
Your story made it all the way up to Canada! I'm 23, female, and I have loved Star Wars ever since I was your age (my favourite characters are R2D2 and Jar Jar Binks). I even still have my action figures and video games! Those bullies need to learn that this is the 21st century and there's no such thing as "only for boys" anymore. And if they don't believe you, just show them these comments and how many other girls love Star Wars too!
Wishing you all the best,
Alison
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
Hi Katie! I am a 32 year old woman and I have always loved Star Wars. Not only do I love Star Wars, but when I was a little younger than you (about 5 or 6), I dressed as Darth Vader for Halloween. It is still my favorite picture costume ever! The boys at your school just don't know it yet. Some day they will really think it's cool when a girl loves supposedly "boy" things. Keep your head up and show off your Star Wars pride, friend! My husband would also like to add that girls who like Star Wars (and science and math and sports and the outdoors and any other kind of "boys only" subjects) are the COOLEST girls in the world!
Katie, you sound like a remarkable young girl. Don't give up what you like just to make others happy. I, for one, love Star Wars where my brother does not. One Christmas, he was even given a nice box set of the movies, and he didn't even want it. Luckily, I inherited it, but I never got any cool SW toys because I was a girl. Ironically, in school I was teased for being too girly, liking Barbie dolls long after the other girls got bored with them. Instead of hiding my interests, though, I specifically had my mom buy me Barbie valentines and gave them to my classmates to show that I know what I like, and I wasn't about to let their opinions change that. Stay strong, and don't be afraid to do whatever makes you happy.
Carrie, thanks for posting this article. People should be made aware of social growth, and how it affects us as adults.
Hi Katie!
There are so many amazing comments here that pretty much cover it all, but I have to throw in one more. When I was your age I also wore glasses (still do), wore an eye patch (no longer have to) and most importantly, LOVED Star Wars (definitely still do) along with a bunch of things that were not "girl" things to like. It may not seem likely now, but as you get older you will meet so many people who think you are the coolest for liking what you really like instead of just going along with what everyone else seems to be doing.
This year one of my friends threw a Star Wars costume party for his 30th birthday. It was pretty great to see so many people I know proudly showing off their fandom!
This is 29 year old me dressed as an ewok, having a blast:
http://flic.kr/p/8CEoKm
You sound like a wonderful girl that is going to grow up to be an amazing woman!
Hi Katie,
My mom raised me on Star Wars and Star Trek. It's developed a huge love of all things "geeky," which USED to be mostly for boys. Not any more! I went to see the first Transformers movie in the theater, as well as the midnight showing of Star Wars Episode III with my husband. Both times it was my idea! I went to school for a computer networking degree. A lot of times, I was the only girl in my class!
You can do & like ANYTHING you want! Wear your Star Wars shirt with pride!
Hi, Katie! I just finished graduate school and I'm hoping to be a teacher in an elementary school really soon. Let me tell you something. If you were in my class and those kids made fun of you, they would be in big trouble. I've loved Star Wars since I was your age, and I think it's wonderful that you do too! One of the best parts about being a child is that you have such a great imagination. People with great imaginations go on to do amazing things. All children should be able to enjoy the things they like, and should never be made fun of for liking them. I can tell you're going to be very happy in your life, and I know that some of those kids (the ones who are smart enough) will regret saying that to you. Remember, don't let ANYONE tell you what you should like and what you shouldn't like! You rock!
Hi Katie. I'm also a girl, and I grew up with Star Wars. Always remember that what counts is what YOU want. Those boys are silly, and are probably just jealous of your awesome Star Wars gear. You're a beautiful girl because you are different. You don't have to be just like everyone else. It's our differences that make us special. Keep your chin up and know that you are awesome!
Katie,
Star Wars is NOT just for boys!!! It's for EVERYONE! My daughter (also named Katie) loves Star Wars. Hang in there and bring your Star Wars lunch box and water bottle with pride!
May the Force be with you!!!!
Bridget
Grapevine, Texas
Sweetie, be thankful you like Star Wars. Right now it may not seem like this, but when you get older, the coolest and most interesting boys will think you are AWESOME for liking Star Wars. When you are older, you'll see. The boys that like Star Wars LOVE it when girls know a lot about Star Wars and other cool movies. I happen to LOVE Star Wars, and so does my husband. So does my 7 year old niece, now that I think about it. She has good taste, and so do you!
Hi Katie!
Keep your head up! I'm a 23 year old New Yorker who loves Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, dinosaurs, and various creepy crawlies. When it comes down to it, you have to do what makes you happy. I was made fun of liking dinosaurs when I was little and it hurt my feelings. I ran from it at first, but with help from my friends and family, I realized that I had nothing to be ashamed of. Staying true to yourself can be hard, but you'll be better for it. You're an inspiration. Good luck!
Hi Katie! I just wanted to let you know that I know exactly how you were feeling. When I was a little girl, my favorite show was a show called He-Man and I got teased all the time by the boys. They said the same, thing - that it was for boys only.
Well, that's simply not true. Girls can like anything boys can like and boys can like the same things as girls sometimes, too.
I'm all grown up now and I have a daughter . Her name is Maggie and she's in the first grade too. Do you know who she says she's going to marry when she grows up? Darth Vader. She LOVES Star Wars and so do I. She also loves Pokemon & Super Mario Brothers.
Be proud of yourself no matter what. A lot of people think you're super cool. Have a great Thanksgiving and a great Christmas!
Hi, I'm Kayla and I've like Star Wars since third grade. =) I also dealt with a little bit of isolation because of it, but mostly from my female peers. Don't worry, the boys will learn to love it. Now I'm in High School, and I'm known as the one who loves Star Wars. We're even thinking about doing a Star Wars themed Court Warming, and everyone is asking my advice! It gets better. ;)
Hi there, Katie! My name's Abby. :)
I read about your story and couldn't help but feel like you and I are very alike (I even have blue glasses, just like you!). I grew up with a much older brother and my dad around - while my friends were playing with Barbies and makeup, my brother was teaching me how to play basketball and video games, and my dad was going for bike rides with me, teaching me to fish and collect rocks and look at bugs, and showing me all sorts of fun shows and movies and music. It was such a fun summer! But by the time I got back to school, I found out that no one else liked all the things I liked! I was made fun of, and worse, I felt alone. But I never let other people tell me what to do, or what to like. I'm eighteen now, and all of my best friends are boys and I couldn't be happier! I know it seems hard, now...but anyone who doesn't accept you for who you are and what you like isn't anyone you want to be around, anyone. You're just too cool for them, I promise.
Have a good school year, Katie!
Hi Katie - Tonight my 2nd grader daughter and I just watched disc 2 of season 2 of The Clone Wars. My daughter became a big Star Wars fan this summer, just like I did when I was 7 and the first movie came out (which you may know as Episode 4). Like you, my daughter was teased for wearing an R2-D2 shirt to school because girls aren't supposed to like Star Wars. But she found the courage to wear it again and some 4th grade boys told her "hey, cool shirt!" in the hallway one day. A couple of weeks ago she & I bought a Star Wars shirt in the boys' section of a store and I asked her if she'd be embarrassed to wear a boy's shirt and she said no! She has a Clone Wars towel that goes with her to her swimming lessons each week. And best of all, all the kids on the block have lightsabers now, especially the girls and they have fun with them all the time. Girls can like Star Wars too!
Dear Katie,
I am a woman, and I have loved Star Wars, and Star Trek, and science, and space, and math, and all sorts of "boy" things since I was your age. I have a college degree in a science called physics, and I now teach science to kids your age, partly because I loved Star Wars and wanted to go to outer space when I was a kid. Please don't listen to other people, just listen to your own heart.
Hugs,
Laurie
Hi there I just want to let katie know that I have been there and know exactly how she is feeling. I'am 22 now but all through out school I was teased for my glasses, my weight, my height and my absolute LOVE for Star Wars. I know being diffrent is scary and the people that make you feel the worst about it our the ones who are most scared of it. When I remember going to school and having the same classmates from the second grade through the fifth grade you really get to know those people and want to be liked. I wasnt, no matter how hard I tried, by a hand full of those class mates. There was however the rest who I loved and they loved me too. Those are the people that really matter, the ones who make you smile. I still have my fifth grade year book and my faviorte message is from a girl name Maryanne who wrote "whenever I have a Star Wars question I'll always come to you." My book shelves are filled with Star Wars books and toys. My Moms room is decorated with a Yoda poster and always remember that Princess Leia was a rebal leader and no one is stronger, braver or more beautiful then her, except maybe you.
Also adoption is the ultimate form of love, you were chosen just like my grandparents chose my mother and my uncle. Sometimes it may seem hard but learning these things now is a great blessing. Some people never learn that being yourself is absolutly awesome that they try to be others and only end up getting hurt. Remeber love yourself, love your family, love your friends and others will love you for being so brave.
I'm so happy to see all these messages. I subbed to the thread when I posted, so I just keep getting little rays of sunshine in my inbox every time somebody posts something. I hope other "different" kids can take some sunshine from all these posts for Katie too!
Katie, I'm a man, but I wanted to chime in here anyway. When I was your age, my Mom showed me Star Wars and it changed my world. I know many, many girls who love the saga just as much as anybody else, including my Mom. Geek girls rule the world and, when you get older, you're going to find a whole worldwide network of people who will love you for your love of your hobbies. Heck, looking at these comments, you already found us!
May the Force be with you, Katie. Always!
Hi Katie! I am a girl to, and I never really got to watch Star Wars, but I really liked Star Trek. I got made fun of for that by some boys. It made me sad at first, I did not understand why they were acting like that. Then someone told me that it was OK to be different sometimes. I am glad that I found out it was OK to be different. Just always be yourself, wear what makes you happy. Take the water bottle that makes you happy, and someday, someone else will see you and see that you like the things that make them happy to, and you will become good friends. Don't hide who you are and who you like to try to make someone else stop making fun of you, it will just make you unhappy with yourself. Best of luck to you sweetie! Just because of you and the story that your mom posted, I am going to be sure to watch Star Wars now.
Katie, you rock! I'm a girl and I love Star Wars too. I have a Boba Fett hoodie, and I wear it all the time. Don't be afraid to be who you are, because who you are is awesome!
Katie! I know you have a bazillion comments but I had to add mine. I was 9 years old when Star Wars first came out. I was watching TV with my mom and the commercial for it came on. I remember my mom looking at me and saying "I think I want to go see that movie. Want to come?" I was shocked. I thought Star Wars was for boys and I was really surprised that my mom wanted to see it. But she promised to buy me popcorn so I went. That movie was the greatest thing I'd ever seen. I went home and right away started bugging my dad to take me to see it again. And he did! He took me the very next day and it was just as great the second time.
That was about 35 years ago and now all these years later we still have Star Wars movies and TV shows. Why? Because people, boys AND girls, men AND women, love them. You are totally not the only one!
It can be hard to be different from most other people. Sometimes it's really hard and you have to choose between what makes you happy and what other people think about you. But I believe that if YOU think it's normal for a girl to like Star Wars, and if you let your friends know that you think it's normal, eventually they'll start to think so too. It's really special to have something like Star Wars that makes you so happy and you should enjoy it any way you want!
Katie - I'm a 26 year old woman and I have loved science fiction ever since I can remember.. since my mom, also a woman (obviously) loves it too. When I first saw Star Wars, (The prequels weren't out yet when I was your age) my sister and my best friend (also a girl) were totally obsessed with it, and would go around pretending we were characters from the show (at first I wanted to be Princess Leia, but sometimes I wanted to be Han Solo, because he was also really cool.) When I was younger than that, I used to wear overalls all the time because I wanted to be like my dad, who built houses. I was the only girl at "insect camp" at the zoo, where we learned about different kind of bugs... I loved bugs and lizards, and generally hated everything pink, because my little sister loved it. (I got over that, and am wearing a pink dress today.) I also liked chemistry sets, legos, electronics, and computers. I'm lucky to have a ten year old brother who likes all the same things I do, and sometimes we play video games together, he thinks it's really cool that his sister likes the same things he likes. In short: I was a nerdy girl, and a girl who liked "boy" things, and I grew up perfectly ok. Those people who are mean to you - they're insecure and jealous because you know who you are and you are cool. So keep rocking your Star Wars water bottle, please.
Hi, Katie. I'm a girl and not only do I like Star Wars, I also like sports. When it comes to hockey, I know more about that sport than most guys do. It's OK for you to like anything you want to like, doesn't matter if you're a girl or a boy, young or old. I know it's hard, but try not to let anyone take away something from you that you enjoy.
Dear Katie,
I'm sure by now you know that you are not alone. When I read your story I teared up a bit. Why? Because it's my story too. Although I'm much older, I was once in first grade too. I loved a lot of the things boys liked. He-Man, GI Joe, Transformers, Thundercats, and especially Star Wars. I tried to get my hands on almost anything involving outer space that I could. Not only did I get made fun of for that, but I wore glasses. When I was in first grade, I had to have surgery on each of my eyes. I had to wear patches over each of them as they healed. Afterwards I wore glasses. I was also the only kid I knew who was adopted. I knew my parents loved me but I still knew that it made me different. It was hard. If I wasn't teased for one thing it was another. But you know what? I made it through. And I still love all of those fun geeky things that people made fun of me for especially Star Wars! Now I get to go hang out with other people who like it too and meet some of the actors who played characters in Star Wars like Chewbacca, Darth Maul, and C-3PO! I don't get teased for my glasses, in fact some people think they are very cool and wear fake ones because they're jealous! Being adopted can be cool too! In fact, one of the things I liked about Luke in the original Star Wars movies was that he was adopted too! He didn't know who his birth mom and dad were but he still had two people who loved him and cared for him very much.
Don't let other people's opinions frighten you away from what you love. I promise that you will find others that are like you. There's nothing wrong with liking "boy" things. In fact, I've met some of my best friends because they liked "boy" things too! We still love them! All of us are different or weird in many ways but that's why we like eachother so much. If we were all the same we'd be boring. Hopefully this helps.
All my best wishes to you,
Amanda T.
Katie,
I started watching Star Wars when I was about three and haven't stopped since. I don't even remember the first time I watched it. I have a couple of t-shirts and most of the books. And yes, a lot of people thought I was different as a kid. But I found there were people like me and I'm still good friends with them.
Now I'm 31, in the military and I've been to Iraq twice. But I still like Star Wars. In fact, my last time over there, a bunch of my friends even had a Star Wars marathon during off-duty time and watched all six movies (spread over several days).
So I hope you take a stand for girls everywhere to show that we don't have to only like certain things. Best of luck to you in school.
Sarah
Hey Katie! I met all three of my best female friends at a Star Wars party, and made tons of others too. I never understood why people said that things were "for girls" or "for boys"; we're girls, and we like Star Wars, so it's for boys just as much as it is for girls.
I bet those boys love Star Wars too, and they're just jealous of your awesome water bottle--I had a Darth Vader water bottle when I was about your age, and it was the coolest thing ever. I also really like your glasses! Are they dark blue? They're really pretty!
May the Force be with you.
Oh, and I think it's awesome that you wore a Star Wars shirt to school! I bet the boys are just jealous of your Star Wars stuff.
Hi Katie-
I want you to know you have a pretty spectacular mom. It's pretty obvious that she loves you VERY much. Katie, I am not the biggest Star Wars fan, but I LOVE Star Trek. I also love scary movies, and sitting under a tree to read a good book. Your story made me sad, because I am not only a female fan of "nerdy" stuff, but a mom as well. Most moms would agree with me when I say no parent wants their child to feel sad or bullied in any way. I think you're very brave, and I think you should carry that Star Wars bottle whenever and where ever you like.
I think that the support you're getting from your mom and others will make you feel stronger...when you're older, you'll think about this and smile, because you showed dignity and grace. Keep your chin up kiddo, and remember, the best thing you can do when you're feeling picked on or stressed out by the way other people treat you is talk to your mom. Trust that your mom will listen...that's what moms do. May The Force Be With You, young Katie, and I hope your days are better.
PS...over 600 comments, Ms. Katie...I think that means you're pretty awesome!
Hi Katie!
Star Wars is wonderful and being a girl who enjoys Star Wars is even more wonderful.
I am 46 years old, I was almost 12 when Star Wars was released in 1977 and I've loved it ever since.
Today, I am one of a growing group of women artists who have turned a love for Star Wars (and other neat "boy" stuff, including comics, action/adventure movies) into a career. This past summer I was invited to be an artist at Star Wars Celebration V (in Orlando, Florida) and got to pick one of my favorite characters to draw for a poster for the convention...Boba Fett.
I am also one of a small group of woman sketch card artists who LOVE to draw Star Wars and other wonderful things! Here is a list of some of my very talented GIRL artist friends who LOVE Star Wars and other "boy" things. Most of these ladies, like me, are official Star Wars artists!:
Jan Duursema (she invented the characters of Aayla Secura - Twi-lek and Quinlan Vos!)
Cat Staggs
Katie Cook
Nicole Falk
Denise Vasquez
Leah Mangue (me!)
Allison Sohn
Amy Pronovost
Ingrid Hardy
Soni Alcorn-Hender
Connie Bumbar Permsampieri
Cynthia Narcisi
Darla Eckland
Jessica Hickman
Irma Suriani Ahmed
Karen Krajenbrink
Laura Inglis
Renae DeLiz
Carolyn Edwards
Jen Mercer
Sarah Wilkinson and many more!
Katie, you are awesome just the way you are. You go on enjoying Star Wars...thousands and thousands of girls/women do and that's just the way we (and the boys around us) like it!
Glad to have you aboard, Katie! :D
Leah Mangue
Katie the Awesome!
I was thinking just this morning about when I was going to school and the kids were teasing me about the things that I did that they didn't understand. I couldn't figure out why I was so different then the other kids, and I wanted to be the same. I liked The Ninja Turtles, and playing baseball, and hockey. Now that I'm grown up, I wish someone had told me that being different was WAY MORE FUN then being the same, and that I would always be the most happy when I was being myself. I know your parents are doing a GREAT job of telling you this, and that all of these amazing ladies are telling you the same thing. I want to tell you too, Katie, that you already have a BIG headstart on all thos other kids, because you are learning to be yourself, and we all think you are SO COOL! Star Wars is an AWESOME movie, and you keep being proud to be Katie! Much Love from all of us!
<3 Rachel
I'm proud of you, Katie, and thankful for the both of you for bringing this story to share with us. 3000 likes and 700 comments and I'm already passing it along to friends I know will find it inspiring as well. Here's to happiness and joy where we can find it, and I hope you never lose who you are.
Hi Katie
I'm a girl and I love "Star Wars", too! I even dressed up as Princess Leia for a school costume party, once. Don't let anyone make you feel bad because of what you love! <3
Hi Katie- I am a 38 year old woman who loves science fiction. I know all the Star Wars movies by heart and have several of the novels. Yoda is my favorite character, but I also like Obi-Wan Kenobi, I even like to talk like Jar-Jar Binks sometimes :-) I am also a huge Star Trek fan, it's one of the things my husband and I watch together a lot.
When I was your age I really liked to play with "boy" games and toys like trucks and baseball and Transformers rather than with dolls or dress up. I was the only kid in my class who wore glasses (with bifocals!) and I thought I didn't know any other kids who were adopted, or who had medical problems (I was born with a birth defect and had to go to doctors a LOT). I've never liked the color pink and I still have my Star Wars and Star Trek toys. Does this make me different? You bet! Does it make me weird? Maybe, but in a good way, 'cause I can understand other people who are "different" and be their friend, and my real friends wouldn't have me any other way than who I am!
Hi Katie! My name is Nancy, I'm 19 years old and I live in Australia. I love Star Wars! I remember first watching the movies when I was little and now I watch them again whenever they are on the television. I like other science fiction shows, especially Doctor Who, it's my absolute favourite TV show ever! All my girl-friends love Star Wars and Doctor Who as well.
Some of us got teased in school and that was a really difficult time, but we all stayed true to ourselves and didn't let other people tell us what we should like or dislike. Now we're all almost grown up and we're unique and individual and much more interesting people than we would have been if we'd listened to the bullies and tried to change what we liked.
Be proud of your differences and celebrate them! They make you a more interesting person. You are amazing - don't ever forget that!
Best wishes and good luck for the future, Love Nancy
Hi Katie! Tomorrow our school is wearing pink (even the boys) to show that we stand up to bullying. We're showing our support for a boy at another school that got bullied just because he was wearing a pink shirt. I always told my two girls that NO ONE EVER has the right to make you feel bad about yourself. I'm so glad to hear that your mom is helping you stay strong. You like what you like, and that is WAY OK! I bet there are lots of kids in your school who are glad that you are brave enough to be "different." It might help someone else be brave too. I'm proud of you! And Star Wars is not just for boys! My girls loved it growing up too! Who are Princess Leia and Queen Amedala anyway? GIRLS!!! Hello! And they kicked butt! Silly boys. :o)
Hi Katie,
I'm really proud of you for wearing your Star Wars shirt to school even after the boys made fun of you. It takes a lot of courage to stand up for what you believe in and you did it! Be true to who you are, because you are beautiful and amazing, and you have a wonderful smile! Also, you are a Star Wars fan, which means that YOU ROCK!
When I was in 1st grade, I wore glasses and I was in foster care, so I understand what it's like to be different from the other kids at school. I also liked a lot of things that the other girls at my school didn't like. I played with bugs, and watched cool sci-fi movies and read comic books. Even now, as an adult, I still do those things and I love them. I'm different from most of my friends but they like me for who I am because I am a good friend. You are such a cool girl, I bet there are lots of people who like you just the way you are and who think you're awesome just because you are you.
Keep smiling and may the Force be with you!
Katie,
I have two daughters. Becca is 7, and Kate is 5. They both love Star Wars.
Here's my favorite Dr Seuss quote which I think is especially appropriate:
I think the three original Star Wars movies are brilliant. After all, who is one of the most important characters? It's Princess Leia, who is no wilting flower. Princess Leia is smart and tough and not afraid to stand up for herself. Take a leaf out of her book, Katie. Princess Leia is proud to be herself. You should be too!
Hi Katie!
Star Wars is wonderful and being a girl who enjoys Star Wars is even more wonderful.
I am 46 years old, I was almost 12 when Star Wars was released in 1977 and I've loved it ever since.
Today, I am one of a growing group of women artists who have turned a love for Star Wars (and other neat "boy" stuff, including comics, action/adventure movies) into a career. This past summer I was invited to be an artist at Star Wars Celebration V (in Orlando, Florida) and got to pick one of my favorite characters to draw for a poster for the convention...Boba Fett.
I am also one of a small group of woman sketch card artists who LOVE to draw Star Wars and other wonderful things! Here is a list of some of my very talented GIRL artist friends who LOVE Star Wars and other "boy" things. Most of these ladies, like me, are official Star Wars artists!:
Jan Duursema (she invented the characters of Aayla Secura - Twi-lek and Quinlan Vos!)
Cat Staggs
Katie Cook
Nicole Falk
Denise Vasquez
Leah Mangue (me!)
Allison Sohn
Amy Pronovost
Ingrid Hardy
Soni Alcorn-Hender
Connie Bumbar Permsampieri
Cynthia Narcisi
Darla Eckland
Jessica Hickman
Irma Suriani Ahmed
Karen Krajenbrink
Laura Inglis
Renae DeLiz
Carolyn Edwards
Jen Mercer
Sarah Wilkinson and many more!
Katie, you are awesome just the way you are. You go on enjoying Star Wars...thousands and thousands of girls/women do and that's just the way we (and the boys around us) like it!
Glad to have you aboard, Katie! :D
Leah Mangue
Dear Katie, This grown woman loves Star Wars. In fact, my boyfriend says it's one of the things that attracted him to me. He had never dated anyone who loved Star Wars as much as he does. Science fiction stories are wonderful ways to explore, and no one type of story is ever reserved for boys or for girls. Boys can like romance stories; girls can like science fiction. I'll tell you another secret--I played with Legos more than I played with dolls, too. :-)
May the Force be with you, Katie.
Katie -
I LOVE Star Wars, and Star Trek, and pretty much anything science fiction. I love them so much, that I joined the Air Force, studied Physics in college, went to the International SPACE University for Grad School, and am now working to establish a planetarium in the same town I went to college at, so I can teach kids just like you about all the AWESOME, COOL stuff in the Universe. Oh, & I'm a girl.
I don't remember seeing Star Wars for the first time: I was about 2 1/2 when A New Hope first came out, but my Dad took me to see it. In college, all my friends & I not only dressed up to go see the re-releases, we decorated the theater. My husband & I still dress up whenever we go to any science fiction movie at the theater, and we're in our thirties. In grad school, I went to see Episode 1 three times - twice in French! And I've seen it in German, too! And I chose what cereal to buy because it had a Star Wars toy in it! My favorite Christmas present ever was a 3D puzzle of the Millenium Falcon.
My best friend has two daughters who also love Star Wars. The 8 year old has done the Jedi Academy training in DisneyLand, where she got to fight Darth Vader, and this year she was a Jedi Padawan for Halloween. She got me hooked on Lego Star Wars.
I wanted glasses when I was your age, but I didn't get them until I was in 6th grade. In college, I got contacts, but not so I would look "normal": I wanted to be a Klingon & thought my glasses interfered with the look. When I was in 5th grade, none of my girl friends were in my class, so I played Transformers with the boys. One time, I even got a long-term babysitting job BECAUSE I like science fiction. Those kids still remember me, and were excited to see me when I came to their school as a substitute teacher.
As for being adopted, Princess Leia was adopted, so you are in excellent company!
Hi Katie! I just wanted to tell you to never deny your love of Star wars for ANYONE! I love Star Wars! I wears t-shirts, pins, patches, I have dolls and even a C3-PO necklace! And I was a Jedi for Halloween once! Nothing wrong with girls who like Star Wars! I mean, come on! How cool is Princess Leia!?!? And I promise you, when you're older, those boys will think it's COOL that you love Star Wars! TRUST me. :-) Stay strong and good luck! The force is with you...always. ;-)
--Jen!
Dear Katie,
You are a beautiful girl and I have no doubt you will grow up to be a beautiful and kind woman.
I love your glasses! I wish there were such pretty/cool glasses when I was your age. They really suit you too. Enjoy all you can see with them!
As for Star Wars, I was a fan when I was a kid (I used to collect figurines and I used to collect Barbies) and I'm still a fan now (although, I don't know where my collections went). Girls and women love Star Wars too. Chances are the boys are making fun of you because they are jealous they don't have such cool accessories. It reflects more on the them than you.
Throughout life people are going to make fun of you because of what you don't or do have. The up side is that you are going to meet a lot of people who don't care and like you just the way you are.
You are the best person to decide what you like and don't like. Follow your heart. Today you may want Star Wars, tomorrow you might want pink, purple, or black. Either way, the choice is yours.
Best wishes,
Maureen
Hi Young Padawan!
I'm a 23 year old women who loves Star Wars too! My husband also loves Star Wars and so do both of our child (who just so happen to be girls). Our oldest who is 4 loves Boba Fett (just like her daddy); our yougest who is 1 year old loves Ewoks (just like mommy) and even dress up as one for Halloween this year :).
I was alot like you when I was a little girl and believe me there's nothing wrong with being a little different because I sure was. Just because you like something that some would consider "boyish" doesn't mean you can't like it too. I know what people say can hurt but as long as you keep your head up and try to not let it botther you everything will be ok. I wish you the best young padawan Katie and I think the force is strong with you. Your certainly not alone in your love of Star Wars with all the support your finding here and My girls and I are right there with you :)
Oops, double posted! (feel free to edit the excess!) :D
L
Dear young Jedi Katie,
Poo to all those who don't let you be yourself. May the Force be with you.
Katie...I am a nurse who runs around everywhere with my Star Wars water bottle. Some adults find it cute, some find it stupid & say I should act my age. I just tell them "I am a Star Wars geek & proud of it!"
My daughter Tia went as Yoda for Halloween when she was 6, 7 & 8 years old. When she was 8 the boys said she could not go as Yoda...all Tia said was "well I am....for the 3rd time. And I look way better as Yoda than you ever would!"
So my dear....please don't give up on something you really like.
Oh...and by the way, my daughters best friend Andrew...well he really likes the color pink! Can you imagine what type of stuff the other kids are saying to him??? But he doesn't care. He still wears pink shirts, has a pink lunch bag & has a pink wall in his room & has pink pillows on his bed. So you see...you are not alone out there! Just be yourself and be proud of it!!!!
*Hugs to you Katie from Colorado Springs*
Hi Katie, I've been a Star Wars fan since I the very first movie on opening night. I was only 8 and I thought it was magical.
If you think about it, the very first Star Wars is kind of like a fairy tale in a different setting. The brave young man (who turns out to be a Jedi Knight) is taught by a wise old man, how to use the power within himself to go on an adventure to save a beautiful princess. Along the way, he finds some friends to help him and together, they defeat the evil forces and all get a special reward from the princess. Sounds like a few other fairy tales I've hear. How about you?
It's ok to like what ever you want, even if it could be a "boy" thing. It's the people who do their own thing, like what they want to like, that are always the most succesful and the most happy in thier lives.
My little girl is 8 and loves karate. She was bullied at her school when she first started her training, because all the other girls were doing dance classes. But, she didn't like dance classes, so she stuck with what she liked to do best and she is much happier because of it... and she's pretty good too! :)
I heard a saying recently that I thought you might be able to think of when it gets hard
"Overcome the idea that we must be regular
Hi Katie!
You know, i started liking star wars since i was little, i didn't know much about it, but i didn't get into star wars, a lot more, until i was 15... and now that i think about it, i reeeally WISH i had started at your age. :)
Your story reminded me of the times i was teased in high school, starting in 10th grade (i'm 21 now) for the same thing, and let me tell you that the bad part of it, for me, was that it was mostly by people i considered good friends... i too was ashamed of liking star wars, taking my watches or folders, notebooks etc; to school, at first, but i let go of the shame, and learned to love it more (because, after all, Star Wars IS awesome! :] ).
When i started to "show" how much of a fan i was, i did feel comfortable but it took me a while to get used to it, and i eventually managed to get over my fear of showing i was a fan... the funny thing is that by the end of high school, everyone (my classmates, friends) knew i loved it, and at times in class if the teacher ever mentioned something about star wars,(which were actually a couple of times.. hehe) everyone would turn their heads to me,the room would be silent with only the teacher talking... which made me feel uneasy at first, as well, but then i would find it funny.... so, i would raise my hand and answer the question, all while showing that i was a proud fan.......
so, you see, don't be ashamed of your pride, Star Wars Fans are THE BEST! just know that you have TONS of people, your fellow star wars fans, that you can call friends... because after all we all have something big in common... :D
So, everyday when you wake up, remember how awesome you are. Don't let the comments from people,your fellow classmates, or anyone-for that matter- bring you down, because after all, what they tell you doesn't really matter....all you can do is think of how much they are missing out on the coolest saga ever, and the great people one can meet because of it..
and you know what? i'm no longer friends with the people that teased me the most, those people i thought were my close friends...... BUT thankfully, BECAUSE of Star Wars, i met, and now have even more friends that are also fans, who are very dear to me, and awesome!
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH YOU, ALWAYS KATIE!!! You are very strong in the force! :D <3
P.S.
Start saving up for your first convention (if you haven't been to one yet).... you're REALLY going to LOVE it! :D
Hi, Katie! I'm a girl and I've loved Star Wars since I was your age, too. I also love Star Trek, and Star Gate, and star everything else! When I was little, I got picked on a lot for being very, very tall and for liking books but not cartoons. As I got older, I found friends who liked the same things I did and the teasing stopped. There's nothing wrong with liking awesome things, and nothing wrong with being awesome yourself. You stick to your blasters and don't let anyone tell you that you need to be like everyone else. You keep being you and rocking on.
May the Force be with you, Katie!
Dear Katie,
I have always loved Star Wars. In fact, I am a laser engineer, so I design and build lasers for a living. In college I studied physics so I could learn how to make a laser like the ones you see in Star Wars. The ones I make aren't quite as futuristic as the ones in Star Wars, but they are pretty cool. My favorite piece of clothing is a Princess Leia t-shirt that has a giant picture of Princess Leia shooting a ray gun. The movies are really good, and you have excellent taste.
May the force be with you.
Warm Regards,
Olivia Koski
Brooklyn, New York
Dear Katie,
You are beautiful, precious, and strong. We are all here supporting you! You are so brave to go forth and do what you feel is right for you. Bless you for your courage. As you set this example, other kids will see how amazing you are and they too will feel empowered to do what makes them happy!
I'm including my post to you from Blogger here as well. Here it is:
"Miss Katie,
You are a Sister Jedi, and we stand with you in spirit everywhere you go.
The Force is with you, and we are, too. Your Light is stronger than the Dark Side. Walk with your pretty head held high, continue to enjoy and embrace Star Wars, and know you are a female Jedi Master.
We honor you."
There. I'm so happy you have such a loving Mom to support you in all of this. How truly blessed and fortunate your family is to have one another. Hang tough, Katie-girl. You are a Jedi!
Wishing you and your family blessings of all the wondrous good in the Universe,
Kcat
Katie! I wish we lived closer! My daughter June is in first grade and she too loves Star Wars! Both her dad and I grew up with Star Wars and love it! So, June loves it too! She will be the first to tell you that Star Wars can be for girls too, just look at Leia and Amidala/Padme! Don't let those boys get you down! Star Wars is for everyone! And you can get the best of both worlds! We found a pink Star Wars shirt which she proudly shoed off to Lord Vader at Disneyland! You are awesome!
Hi Katie!
I'm a 27 year old girl, and I love Star Wars! And video games, Lord of the Rings, and sports. I know how you feel because growing up, I got teased a lot, too. It's hard sometimes, but you will meet plenty of people who like you just the way you are. Just look at all these great comments- there are lots of girls that love Star Wars! And eventually, the boys will think it's pretty cool that you like Star Wars, too. In fact, part of the reason my husband fell for me was that I had a Lord of the Rings poster and a Playstation2 when we met.
So hold your head up, keep sporting your Star Wars gear, and may the force be with you.
Andrea
Hi Katie,
I just wanted to say that I think you are a very brave girl.
I remember seeing Star Wars for the first time when I was Five (Which was a long time ago) and ever since then I have been a huge fan.
When I was younger I never really liked to play with things like Barbie dolls and other things that were considered girl toys. I would play with cars and dump trucks and all sorts of other stuff because I thought it was fun. (I was never really into all the cool things)
Now I have R2D2 Christmas lights that I hang in my room even when it's not Christmas and I collect all sorts of other R2D2s.
Just remember that there are all sorts of strong and Brave women in Star Wars. They can Princesses and Jedi or they can be Queen of an entire planet.
Don't let some mean kids make you feel bad. If you want to carry a Star Wars water bottle they you go right ahead and do it!!
Lynne
A fellow Star Wars Fan in Winnipeg Manitoba Canada
Katie-
Be whoever you want to be. At the end of the day, what everyone else thinks of you isn't important. The only thing that matters is how you feel about yourself! And you are not alone! I am a girl and I like a lot of movies that are traditionally "just for guys". But when you are an adult, people will think that's cool =)
I'm so sorry that you're already having to go thru this, kiddo. I hope that you'll remember that often times, when people tease or bully you, it's because they are jealous of something about you. Whether it's your excitement about Star Wars, your great family, or how much joy you get out of life, some people feel the need to tear down things that they wish they had for themselves. So, maybe it can help you feel sorry for the people that try and make you feel bad about how special you are.
I'm adopted too and I love Star Wars. You're not alone. There are a lot of us "cool girls" out there!
Stay strong,
Nicole
Katie,
I think it's AWESOME you like Star Wars, but you know what, it doesn't matter what I think, because it's what YOU like that matters. I am woman who really likes Star Wars, and Star Trek (the OLD one) and all kinds of SciFi. I always have -- and I like Batman and Spiderman too. My little girl wears glasses and she LOVES Star Wars and studying planets and anything to do with maths and she says that makes her pretty different too. She also told me that "everybody is a little different" and we think that's good because it would be boring if we all were the same.
Oh, hang on to that water bottle, it might be a collector's item one day! And Katie, I think your mom is awesome for telling the story.
Emma
Hi Katie (and Katie's mom),
My name is Dan and I am a man. I am writing because I have loved Star Wars since I was a little boy. I grew up watching and re-watching the original trilogy and those are three of my all-time favorite movies. It is always a delight to get the chance to meet another Star Wars fan.
Katie, I wanted you to know that in my lifetime, I have met dozens and dozens and dozens of people who also love Star Wars. And you know what? Many of them are girls! In fact, I would consider my female friends who are Star Wars fans to be amongst the cool people I know! Like yourself, they know that Star Wars is AWESOME!!!
You are not alone in loving Star Wars, as I'm sure you can tell from the tremendous response you have gotten this evening! I just wanted to say that if Star Wars gives you joy, then don't let anyone make you ashamed of liking it! You keep watching Star Wars and be proud to carry your water bottle to school! If anyone gives you grief about it, just remember one thing: they are probably jealous that they don't have a cool Star Wars water bottle of their own!
You ladies take care, and while I know it sounds cliched, I just have to say it: May the Force be with you!
Dear Katie,
My name is Molly and I am 19 year old girl who happens to be an enormous star wars fan. I am actually quite jealous of your water bottle, it's probably the coolest thing ever. Just recently I got my picture taken with Boba Fett and Darth Vader on the steps of the Franklin Institute and I was so excited. I have a lot of friends who are Star Wars fans, both boys and girls. As for those boys bothering you, I promise they'll go away eventually, and even if they don't you'll be okay. Star Wars is a great series and you should never be ashamed of your fandom. Stay strong and may the force be with you.
Oh, by the way, here is a good site for kids about bullying.
http://www.pacerkidsagainstbullying.org/
I'm so sorry that you're already having to go thru this, kiddo. I hope that you'll remember that often times, when people tease or bully you, it's because they are jealous of something about you. Whether it's your excitement about Star Wars, your great family, or how much joy you get out of life, some people feel the need to tear down things that they wish they had for themselves. So, maybe it can help you feel sorry for the people that try and make you feel bad about how special you are.
I'm adopted too and I love Star Wars. You're not alone. There are a lot of us "cool girls" out there!
Stay strong,
Nicole
Hi Katie! My name's Bethany. :) I'm a 25-year-old girl who absolutely LOVES Star Wars, and so does my sister! I first became a Star Wars fan when I was 12 years old, just a little older than you, and I've been loving it ever since. In fact, I like it so much that I read Star Wars books and watch the Clone Wars TV show every week. So don't listen to those boys when they tell you girls can't like Star Wars, because that's just not true! Drink proudly out of that Star Wars water bottle--I bet those boys are just jealous because they wish they were cool enough to have one! ;)
Dear Katie,
I was just like you in first grade. I had glasses, in fact I had just gotten my first pair, and I loved Star Wars. Still do in fact! It's a wonderful world with lots of interesting characters. I also am adopted with lots of people who love me :).
I love other kinds of science fiction and I have made some wonderful friends because of it. One is an archaeologist like Indiana Jones, a few others are college professors and one is a law student. I played with Ninja Turtles and I played soccer and football with the boys at recess when I was your age. Eventually those boys will see how special a girl who kind of understands them really is. Until then, remember you are a beautiful unique person and they would be lucky if you were their friend.
Be yourself always!
JB
You've gotten overwhelming responses and I suspect that neither you nor Katie still need my input, but I need to raise my hand in solidarity with all the other lady Jedi out there.
I have a Boba Fett action figure, one of the first editions, that I still keep with me when I move. I even used to play the Star Wars role playing game, which was super geeky of me. But there is nothing wrong with that. Just got to be yourself, because everyone else is already taken. And if you like Star Wars, that's great. There are a ton of other ladies out there who do as well.
Dear Katie,
I am a 21 year-old girl who likes Star Wars too! I've always been into things that are considered "just for boys." This does not stop me from liking them, and it should not stop you either. Do not change what you like for anyone! Be true to yourself. There will always be people who disagree with your likes; however, there will also be people who share them with you! I think it is awesome that you have lots of Star Wars items. ^_^
May the force be with you,
-V
GO KATIE GO! :-) You have a great name, and great taste in movies. From Kaiti, who looooves Star Wars!
Hi Katie~ :)
My name's Maggie, and I, like sooooo many other poeple, girls and boys, that have commented, LOVE Star Wars. My dorm room is plastered with posters of Yoda and Vader and Obi-Wan, and I even have a poster with more characters than I can count on it! My best friend, who I consider to be my unofficially adopted sister, got me interested in Star Wars when I was in high school. We even bought robes and costumes at Goodwill and choreographed lightsaber fights like in the movies, and we did it in our yards for people to see! (I *really* don't recommend this, though, we got pretty bumped and bruised!)
I've been bullied pretty much all of my school years. In grade school, my parents were artists and we lived in a farming town, so I was an oddball. In high school, I was shy, so a group of boys used to make fun of me. Once I realized I didn't actually care what they thought because I had enough amazing friends without them, I was able to just laugh. Please Katie, if anything I hope you always get to laugh.
I've always loved science, probably because of my dad, and right now I'm in college studying Physics, Astronomy, and Math. The cool thing is, a *lot* of the Astronomy majors here are girls. And we LOVE Star Wars! I've dressed one of my best friends up as both Queen Amidala and Princess Leia for Halloween, and people think it's AWESOME!
I know people say this all the time, and I heard it so much when I was younger it didn't matter to me. But I want to say from experience: It does get better. Embrace who you are. If you walk with your head up and a smile, bullies won't have anything to tease you about, because no matter what, you can still smile.
I don't know if you're still reading these after so many, but if you are, hopefully you know by now that you're absolutely not alone. And even if you're different from some of the people around you, you're part of a much larger group of people that love you for expressing yourself, love you for loving Star Wars, and love you for sharing this story. Best wishes!
Katie - How lucky you are to have such a great mom. I love that she took the time to blog about your experience so that we can all learn from it.
I'm the mother of a 15-month old daughter, Aurelia. And I hope she's as brave as you are when she gets to be your age.
I'm sure others have said more wonderful, more inspiring things than I, but I wanted to add one thing. It gets better. That doesn't mean that kids won't still hurt your feelings - they will sometimes. But it gets better, and boys will care about you, and be friends with you, and appreciate that you like Star Wars! Or they won't care a whit about Star Wars, but they'll like you for you. It gets better, I promise.
And mom? My husband has been a collector of Star Wars stuff for ages, and we'd love to ship your sweet girl some toys, if there's a PO Box to send it to (this is not a creepy attempt to find out your personal info). I'd be happy to send something to the folks at Chicago Now to deliver to you. Just let me know.
xoxo to Katie,
Mama Mumpower
I just wanted to make sure that Katie saw she got love straight from the OFFICIAL STAR WARS BLOG!!!!
http://starwarsblog.starwars.com/index.php/2010/11/18/young-girl-bullied-for-liking-star-wars/
Katie, I'm a girl and I grew up LOVING Star Wars! I'm talking, quoting, fun fact spewing, book reading, action figure playing, lightsaber dueling, Halloween dressing up LOVED Star Wars.
I know what it's like to feel different with glasses, braces and frizzy hair and it isn't easy. Some days all these great and genuine things people and your parents are telling you just may not feel like enough but I am here to tell you that it gets better. Seriously! I'm in college now and kids are working hard to try to be MORE different than every other person around them (and they all look a little silly, honestly - but it's great to see).
Don't worry about things being "girl things" or "boy things" - worry about them being "Katie Things". If you like it, honey, it's yours! If it's just not you - don't worry about it :) It's okay to not like the things your classmates like, as long as you respect their right to like it. I'm sorry they haven't learned that lesson yet, some of them might not ever but the really really cool thing is that you know it now.
Just be you! And by reading all of these comments, I can tell that everyone else thinks YOU are pretty cool.
Good luck and may the force be with you ;)
Kacie, a Jedi-wannabe Buckeye :)
I'm so sorry that you're already having to go thru this, kiddo. I hope that you'll remember that often times, when people tease or bully you, it's because they are jealous of something about you. Whether it's your excitement about Star Wars, your great family, or how much joy you get out of life, some people feel the need to tear down things that they wish they had for themselves. So, maybe it can help you feel sorry for the people that try and make you feel bad about how special you are.
I'm adopted too and I love Star Wars. You're not alone. There are a lot of us "cool girls" out there!
Stay strong,
Nicole
ps: check out my profile pic. It's me and my fiance dressed as Princess Leia and young Obi Wan Kenobi!
Little Miss Katie,
I've just recently gained a love for Star Wars. I am a twenty year old girl and I am one of the geekiest people I know and yet I have a lovely boyfriend of two years who is just as different as me. I wouldn't change the way he is or the way I am. My geekiness is what helped me catch him. Give it a few years and you will see what I mean.
The important people who care will never make fun of you (out of elementary school because right now, it means they like you ;])for liking something different and, in fact, will celebrate you for it.
In High School I dressed up as all the Holidays my senior year TWICE. The first time I did it, people looked at me weird and said things behind my back but eventually they learned that it was just who I was. At that point they excitedly asked what would be the next day. It is OK to be different and I take joy in the fact I am not the same as everyone else.
People can be fickle and I am sure those boys will decide to rejoice, one day, that you are a geek; a Star Wars geek at that.
All of us who have posted (and those who haven't) love you and hope you show those boys that you can like what you want when you want and how you want. I am happy you are not a cookie cutter person, there are too many of those and we need to fill the world with uniqueness and imagination otherwise it will become boring and old.
The force is strong with you. Keep it strong. Head up!
MR. (yup, my initials spell mr.)
Dear Katie:
I am 22 years old and I love Star Wars just like you! I know it sucks to be teased or called names when other kids think you're different or weird. But you know what? Deep down inside, they are all scared that they are going to be teased by someone that thinks that THEY are strange. So you should be brave and be proud of the way you are so that you can show everyone else that it is ok to be yourself. And I know that it is hard to imagine the future, but at some point there will be other people who won't tease you because you are 'weird', but will love you because of it and want to be your friend instead. I promise. It happened to me.
So hang in there, Katie. It will get better, even on days where it seem like it never will.
Katie,
I don't know if you carry a purse yet, but this is mine:
http://img441.imageshack.us/img441/1914/20101118233439359.jpg
If you can't see it for some reason, it's an Empire Strikes Back lunchbox, and I carry all my girly belongings in it. (Picture was taken with my special edition R2D2 phone) :]
Don't let those boys or anyone else get you down! Star Wars is awesome, and you're awesome for sticking up for yourself and liking whatever you want to like.
Being original is a fantastic and rare thing. Flaunt it, girl!
To mom, thank you for supporting your daughter and encouraging her to not falter under peer pressure. I was fortunate enough to have a mom like you growing up, and I owe it all to her for allowing me to become a resilient and independent woman. Cheers to great and loving mothers!
Hope this helped, Katie. Just remember, when you're the most original person in the group, YOU determine what's cool.
Oh, and may the Force be with you.
Hi Katie!
When I was in first grade, I liked to play with the boys because they did more interesting things and weren't afraid of bugs and worms. I liked bugs and worms and toy cars and Legos. I also liked being a girl and wearing dresses. I thought in my head that it was okay to wear dresses and like boy things too but no one ever told me it was okay to do both so I kept it a secret.
Then one day when I was a bit older, my mother took me and my brothers to see a brand new movie called Star Wars (this was a long time ago, when the movie first came out). I loved it!!! I especially liked Princess Leia because she was a girl and a princess and also she was really smart and was good at getting out of trouble and I think she might have been tougher than Luke and Han Solo. That was the first time I ever knew that girls could be girls and do boy stuff too.
I think Princess Leia would be proud of you for making up your own mind about what girls can and can not do. I think it's wonderful you chose a Star Wars backpack and water bottle.
Oh I know about being different too. I'm not adopted but I did have to start wearing glasses in 5th grade. I hated them. And then one day someone said that I was lucky because I could take them off and magically the world would be blurry and then put them on and the world would be sharp again. Kids without glasses don't get to do that. I especially liked looking at strings of colored lights without my glasses because they'd blur in a really pretty way and best of all no one else could see it like that because I was the only kid I knew that had glasses. Sometimes people say that you are different when they really mean you have something special. Being able to make the lights blurry was special.
You sound like someone who has many many things that are special only to you. As you know, it's sometimes hard to be the different one. But lots of people actually admire people who are willing to be different and I bet they admire you. I hope so! I do!
And oh yes, Star Wars is still my favorite movie of all time. May the Force be with you!
Hi Katie
When I was your age I had glasses and an eye patch and I liked Transformers which was a cartoon that the boys liked. Sometimes they did make fun of me, and it did hurt my feelings, but the more they did it, the more I pretended that I didn't care. Soon, they got bored by it. I didn't let them have them have the satisfaction of controlling how I felt about things or even about myself. If you like something or feel strongly about something, don't change that for anyone. That's what makes you special and who you are. :)
Hello, Katie!
I'm a 22 year old woman who also loves Star Wars and other science fiction and fantasy! My favorite subject is math (I am actually going to college to study it) and I too wear big glasses and fun t-shirts with pride. (My favorite is my Mobile Suit Gundam t-shirt!) So you are definitely not alone in the "girls who like Star Wars" department! And in case you like science and math, you are definitely not alone there, either. (My academic advisor and main teacher is actually a woman, and one of the best I've ever met!)
I am so proud of you for going out there with confidence with your Star Wars swag! You are indeed a very cool girl, and it's great to see other girls who also love the things I love with pride and flair. I admit I am kind of jealous of your Star Wars water bottle! Maybe I'll pick one up for myself sometime. :D
And yes, as others have been saying, it does get better. I actually met my fiance at a science-fiction/fantasy/gaming club in college! I've made some great friends, both boys and girls, through our shared love for Star Wars and other things.
So keep on trucking, Katie, and may the force be with you as you grow as a woman and as a fan!
Hello, my name is Clara and I think what you and your daughter has done is wonderful. Proud To Be Me Day is a great idea. If you could email me the details about it that would be great. My school would like to do Proud To Be Me Day. My email is: millerclara1@gmail.com. Thanks you. :)
Katie,
I commanded those boys to bully you. Join forces with me and we will rule the playground.
I am your father!
Sithfully,
Anakin
Uh oh!
hey, katie! my name is heather and i'm a girl who not only loves star wars but had to wear an eye patch and glasses for years when i was just about your age! i completely and totally feel your pain, especially about how mean people can be. i was made fun of for the exact same things those boys are making fun of you now - and although i'm not adopted, i want to adopt someone who is as brave and strong as you are. people made fun of me when i was your age for exactly the same things. i'm almost 24 now, and i still love star wars - and from wearing the eye patch, i have much better eyesight!
stay strong and keep your head up. you are a beautiful and unique individual, and you are bigger than the people who bully you. plus, i promise you'll still love star wars when you get older - although you might not love your eyepatches! i'll wear one of my star wars shirts tomorrow in honor of you!
may the force be with you!
heather h.
Hi, Katie,
I don't know if you and your mom are still reading these comments, but I felt compelled to write after being directed here by Her Universe's tweet and reading your story. I first fell in love with Star Wars when I was six years old and the first movie came out. I was always the only girl who loved it, and my friends sometimes teased me about it (sometimes still do), but I didn't care. I knew what a wonderful world the Star Wars universe is, and that was all that mattered. I have since made sure that my 10 year-old son is a fan, too. We love sharing action figures and looking for new Lego sets to build. I'm a teacher now, and I always have a few students (boys AND girls) who think it's cool that I love Star Wars so much. (I even have a Darth Vader laser pointer that I use in class.) I hope you never stop being proud of being a Star Wars fan, because they are always the nicest, coolest, smartest people around. :)
When I told my son about you, he said that those boys were "messed up and not right at all" because Star Wars is for everyone of all ages, boys and girls alike, and that anyone would be crazy NOT to like Star Wars. He also said to tell you that the only thing that is for "boys only" is the men's room. :) He knows a thing or two about being bullied and teased. He gets called weird all the time for the things he likes. He used to get teased about being a big SpongeBob fan. And he doesn't like the kids at school to know that he likes Hannah Montana because he's afraid of getting teased. I tell him that what makes him different is what makes him special and cool. I also tell him that it's the ones who get called weird who end up running the world. :) Be proud of who you are and what you like. You're clearly an awesome girl with great taste. And keep talking to your mom about the things that bother you. That always helps. And because it can never be said enough, may the force be with you!
Oops - wouldn't be a good teacher if I didn't give credit where credit is due. The tweet where I learned about you came from @nerdist (a very cool guy who likes girls who like Star Wars). Since then, I have seen several other tweets and retweets going around about you! :) The Star Wars Universe and the Twitterverse are on your side.
For Katie:
Dear Katie,
I wish I had a Star Wars water bottle when I was your age! You're lucky you've got one. I am 26 years old and I still wear my Star Wars t-shirt sometimes and I'm sure I will be wearing it when I'm 60! You are also lucky because you know what you love and what makes you happy. Don't let anyone take that away from you. = )
Bipana
Katie I'm a guy in my 30's, so I'm an old fogey. I now use a wheelchair to get around but when i was your age I could walk. But I walked with my knees bent and feet turned inward. I walked "funny" as they used to say. And when I was your age I was made fun of for that. But I learned something very important when I was being made fun of. First that the kids making fun of me were just acting out from their own lack of confidence. So do yourself a favor and forgive them and be kind to them. Secondly I knew then, as I know now, that I was a good person. That I tried to be a good person and thus there was nothing wrong with me. In fact, I learned that if we weren't all different to some degree we'd be bored to death!
And don't forget that what they see on the outside of you and comment on doesn't matter because they don't know the inside you like your family and friends do and will. Remember that when Luke first met Yoda he laughs at the thought that this creature before him was a great warrior. And Yoda told him not to judge him by his size. Be Yoda. The bullies don't know what a great warrior you can be. :)
Hey there Katie! I'm Gail and I'm 23 years old. The first movie I remember watching was Star Trek: The Voyage Home when I was just a toddler, and I first watched Star Wars when I was your age. My favorite scenes where the ones with the most aliens, and when I grew up I very much wanted to be just like Han Solo and Princess Leia.
I never went to public school, but was homeschooled until I went to college. However, I got teased by kids in my church and my homeschool group for liking things like Star Wars and Star Trek (and pirates. I loved Pirates and these were the days when pirates weren't cool. Which shows how dumb people can be who decide what is "cool" to like because pirates are always cool). Or I was teased for being white skined, or having freckles, or silliest of all having one finger that is ever so slightly crooked that most people don't even notice. It wasn't fun. I won't lie, but it is tough to be yourself. But you know what? It is completely worth it.
There is a whole great, big world waiting for anyone brave enough. If you can be yourself now with confidence you'll be amazed at what happens. For instance I've taken to wearing a bowler hat, and instead of getting teased for wearing a very different hat out, people come up to me and tell me how much they like it. Sometimes they even buy a hat like mine after seeing it. Instead of conforming to what people think is cool be yourself and people will see whatever you chose to do is cool. Regardless if you chose to have a Star Wars bottle or a pink bottle.
Also there is so much just waiting for you discover it. I still love star Wars (as I type I'm looking at a Han Solo action figure that I bought when I was seven), but there are so many things like Star Wars out there. When you are old enough you can look forward to things like Lord of the Rings, Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy, Doctor Who, Princess Bride, and any movie by Jim Henson. But Star Wars will always rock and so will you.
Live long and prosper and may the force be with you,
Gail
Hi Katie,
I have a Katie in first grade too. Her favorite game and movie are Star Wars, she wears glasses and has a eye patch too to help her right eye get stronger. You are very loved and are going to do wonderful things with your life. Remember that who you are is much more important then who your friends think you should be. Listen to your mom cause she loves you more than anyone else in the world and be confident that you are a wonderful little girl created for a wonderful purpose.
Katie,
I'm a girl, and I like a lot of "boy" things. Tell the smelly boys that their "lack of faith" disturbs you:)
I'm a diesel mechanic, which is not a normal "girl" job. I like it because repairing things is like working on a puzzle. Lots and lots of boys make fun of me, but I like to do this.
I like computers, and math and science and Tonka Trucks! When my kids were your age, I bought them the old fashioned metal Tonka Trucks, and I have 2 girls and a boy who played with them all the time.
Do what you like, and like what you like, and don't let anyone tell you different.
Hey, Katie
Another Katie here!
I'm writing from Bulgaria, it's 4 AM here, but I wanted to say:
I am maybe the hugest SW fangirl here, plus I've always been the most different anywhere I go. Very shortsighted, a bit tomboyish, a bit plump...they made fun of me when I was your age, but somehow I started just being proud of what I am. I was good at languages and art, so I continued doing this, i s
Hi Sweet Katie! I just want to tell you that you are a very beautiful little girl. I'm a woman and love Star Wars and other "Boy" movies. I think those boys are just jealous and probably want that water bottle for themselves. Ignore them and remember that you are above them and their teasing and keep in mind that you are loved and appreciated by your family and real friends. You Rock!! :)
Hi Katie;
I am 24 years old (nearly 25), and I have loved Star Wars and boy stuff since I was a kid. I too, was made fun of for being a 'nerd'. When the girls were off playing with Barbies and having sleep overs, I was reading comic books and trading my brother his GI Joe for my Barbies (because playing with him was SO much cooler than playing house).
I was also bullied about the fact that my mother died when I was young, and that my step-mother had to be taken care of by home-makers because of s bad car accident she had.
All the time, I was made fun of for being different. It hurt. I remember crying most nights after school because of things the kids would do and say to me.
But you know what? All that bullying, I learned to feel bad for them. You see, they had to live by standards of what they thought they had to be. They couldn't jump out of their shells and live by their dreams.
I still live by my dreams today. And now? All those boys that thought I was a loser for liking boy stuff? They now think I'm the coolest girl they know.
Besides, everyone knows the coolest Jedi Knights were girls anyways :)
Hi Katie!
I, too, am a fan of Star Wars and so is my 11 year old daughter, Chloe. She is in the sixth grade. Her ipod touch cover is a Star Wars cover with Darth Vader on it! She also loves all sorts of other "boy" stuff, like video games. Her backpack looks like a big Nintendo controller. Just wanted to let you know that you are not alone! :)
I began to be happy especially because I'm so different and awesome. Smile, be above the things and do what you're good at-you'll see very soon:)
kisses from farrrrrrrrrrrrrr Europe! :*
Hi Katie, I'm just a boy but I've grown up a lot. I've been picked on for being adopted, being girly, wearing glasses, being heavier than other kids, and for being smarter than other kids.
But all those kids who bullied me have not amounted to much and I'm living a pretty great life. I'm doing what I want, making good money, and being happy.
You sound like a terrific person for liking what you like and for being so brave. I think maybe you're braver than I was at your age. In fact, I think you're so brave, you're giving me inspiration to be even braver. Thank you, Katie.
The world needs more people like you and we're all glad you're just who you are.
Dear Katie:
I have never met you but you sound like a very interesting, fun, and smart girl. I am a girl and I have always been a little different. When I was a teenager my dad asked me why I could not just be like everyone else. My response was that I am not like everyone else and I do not want to be - I am me. And, Katie, you are you. Enjoy it, you are special.
I am a big Star Wars fan. I use Star Wars quotes in the college classes I teach and my students enjoy it. I have also been told by guys that they think it is cool that I am a Star Wars fan. I have an 11 year old niece and she was Princess Leia for Halloween this year and I am buying her the complete Star Wars dictionary for Christmas. So, you are not the only girl who loves Star Wars. You are not alone - you are one of many very cool, very smart, and very unique people!
Enjoy and be proud of the things that you like. You are not weird, different, or wrong - you are you and that is the best thing you can be. Star Wars is for everyone (boys and girls) to enjoy.
May the force be with you.
WJAC
Katie! You don't realize how cool you are! Every girl I know wishes they could know more about Star Wars - that is THE ULTIMATE in cool, and for you to be so young and you already know about it!!! Most of my friends found about it from their boyfriends later in life, then had to go back re-watch it to even be able to carry on a conversation with the cool kids. You're so far ahead! And you're viral! You're the coolest chick ever and you're just starting out!!!
I have found, as I was growing up and being a girl who liked Star Wars & computers that the kids who tease you in grade school, ask you on a date in high school ....and then ask you for a job after college. Carry your Star Wars bottle with pride my lady! This is just the beginning!
The Force will be with you, always.
- Melodie 29yo
Fellow-female-star-wars fan and business owner Hollywood, CA
I've been a Star Wars fan my entire life. When I was in grade school, I had Star Wars folders and pens, but I was the only girl who liked Star Wars and the boys thought I was weird. Now, I'm 22 years old and many of my friends, both boys and girls, like Star Wars. Don't let someone else ruin what makes you happy.
When a boy makes fun of you for liking Star Wars, look at him and say, "Aren't you a little short to be a Stormtrooper?"
Hi, Katie! I'm a boy (okay, a grown-up man), but I'm a huge Star Wars fan -- and my girlfriend is an even bigger Star Wars fan, and has been her whole life! She even bought real Light Sabers so we could go in costume as Jedi Knights. We know for sure that Star Wars is not just for boys, and we feel kinda sorry for those kids who teased you -- they're the ones who are missing out.
There are science fiction convention in Chicago a few times a year -- CapriCon in February, Duckon in June, WindyCon in November (just missed that one) -- where there are a whole bunch of other people of all ages who love Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, Japanese animation, books, art, comics, all kindsa stuff. You and your mom might want to drop in on one of those, because you'd meet a whole bunch of smart and friendly folks who like the same kinds of things you like!
May The Force Be With You!
Hi Katie,
I am 31 years old and I am typing this while wearing my glasses and hanging out with my Chewbacca action figure. Which was a gift to me on my 16th birthday from a boy who was a friend of mine! I must say, though, that while I don't have a Star Wars water bottle, that sounds pretty cool - I think I'm jealous! :) How's that for kind of cool - you've made a grown up jealous of you!
You should never be ashamed of liking things that people may think are different because it's just part of you being uniquely YOU! Go on and rock that Star Wars stuff like the awesome girl that you are because you have a whole army of support right here, led by your awesome mom. Maybe those boys are just jealous of what a great water bottle you have!
You keep just being you...because you are a pretty great young lady!
P.S. Between you and me, I think people who wear glasses look smarter. ;)
Katie,
When I was in first grade, computers were not as much of a part of our daily lives as the are now. There are calculators out there that can do more than my first computer did!
The graphics were barely recognizable as pictures. They were more like putting LEGOs together in a pattern than true pictures! Some of my favorite games only had words! No pictures at all.
But that didn't change the fact that I loved those games, and played them no matter what people said.
And I still do so today, though almost 30 years later they sure look a lot prettier! I've made many friends through reaching out and finding people who enjoy the same games I do, as well as other non-game-related interests. I met my husband because we liked the same series of nerdy books! He has two beautiful daughters, both who love Star Wars. My elder stepdaughter has had both Spiderman and MarioKart lunchboxes, and loved them.
Sometimes, people get possessive of things they see as important to them, and they try to make them exclusive in some way. They say things like "You can't be here, you don't have enough money" or "You look different than me, you don't belong here" or "You can't like that thing, it's for people like US and not like YOU." All of these people are wrong, of course, but it's up to those of us being excluded to show them why they're wrong, just by being ourselves and not letting their small-minded feelings change how we behave.
The things you like are a reflection of who you are, and no one is allowed to change that about you.
All else fails, just use your Jedi mind powers and tell those boys "This is not the water bottle you're looking for."
Good luck Katie!
Hi Katie!
I'm a girl, I'm adopted, I wear glasses, and I love Star Wars, too. My cousin and I saw the movie many times at the theater when it came out, and I collected Star Wars glasses, Star Wars folders, Star Wars shirts, Star Wars books, Star Wars pencils--you name it, I had it. I still like science fiction and fantasy enough to write about it for a website, and I have plenty of friends, boys and girls, who like it too. If you like something, you like it, and it doesn't have anything to do with whether you're a boy or a girl. Stand up for what you like, Katie, and you'll find that you're not alone.
Katie,
I have loved Star Wars my entire life. Don't be ashamed. I'm a 27 year old woman who is trying to slowly build a lifesized R2-D2. If you want to see something cool, check out this. http://www.r2kt.com/ Its a story about another girl named Katie who wanted a pink R2-D2, and the people who build the droids made it for her. Good luck with the bullying. And just remember one day those boys will be begging you to date them.
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
I'm sure as the parent of a young girl, this is the last thing you wanna hear, but!
The same boys teasing her for liking star wars will be the ones lining up to take her to prom in a few years.
So you better look out.
Dear Katie,
I am a woman who loves Star Wars! When I was 5 I wanted to be Princess Leia SO much! I begged my mother to put my teeny wisps of hair into those signature buns. She somehow managed to coax my hair into two itty bitty buns and I felt like I *was* Princess Leia. That support and encouragement was fantastic. And it sounds like your mom is an amazing woman, Kaite!
I love science fiction and computer games! In fact, I play an online Star Wars game and a friend of mine from that game showed me your story. He knew I would want to support a little "Geek Girl" in training! And when I say Geek Girl, I say it with pride! I am a Geek Girl and I love it! There are lots of us out there, Katie! For some reason there are those out there who still think girls should only wear pink and play with Barbies. Now, I had many Barbies when growing up and I still love pink, but there is room for Star Wars in there too! You know what we need, Katie? Pink Star Wars shirts!! Ooo with sparkles! We can like pink if want and still like Star Wars! I hope that seeing so many other women who like things that are thought to be reserved for boys gives you strength!
Take care! Be strong! And remember, Kaite....May the Force be with you!
- Anhinalee
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
Dear Katie-
I am a girl and I love Starwars. The first movie I remember seeing at the Theatre was Return of the Jedi. Han Solo was my first crush. I married a man who loves Starwars even more than I do. Infact, he dresses up like Boba Fet just for fun. Sometimes I dress as Princess Leia and we attend charity fundraisers together. We had a Starwars cake topper on our wedding cake! There were plenty of people who laughed at that. But I didn't care because it was my wedding and I like Starwars!
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
My 9-year-old niece dressed up as Wolverine for Halloween. She loves X-Men, and some kids (and her own sister sometimes) tease her about liking a "boy" thing. But she had one of the best costumes at school! I was so proud of her for choosing to wear the costume she really wanted rather than being afraid of what the other kids would think of her.
Hey Katie, kids just don't know what's good! :) Someday you're going to meet people who like all sorts of things that might seem different. That's what makes the world a fun place; having different interests and then meeting other people who like the same things. It's such an awesome feeling! It's easy to go along with the crowd and like what's "popular" but where's the individuality in that? Don't change what you like or who you are for anyone. Just be you and be proud of it. You're unique but you're not weird! Those kids will learn to respect you if you just stick to your guns and be a confident girl. You're beautiful and one day soon you're going to seem very cool in certain circles just for liking the things you do. But don't wait for other people to confirm your coolness, own it right now! You're the only Katie in the world with your exact personality and your interests, and you are awesome just the way you are.
Hi, Katie! First, I want to tell you what good taste you have. Star Wars is awesome! I'm a grownup now, and I still own a lightsaber! (The blue one, like Luke's.) One of the earliest things I remember was my parents taking me to a drive-in movie theater to see "The Empire Strikes Back." I was younger then than you are now.
It's hard to be brave enough to be different, but I promise, in the end you'll be happier. It's a lot of work to try to pretend to be someone you're not, and you end up being too tired from pretending to have any fun! Other kids can be horrible, and sometimes they'll pick on you no matter what you do. If you looked exactly like them, didn't have glasses or a patch and had a pink water bottle every day, some people would still find something to pick on you for, because the problem is with them, not with you. So you might as well be brave and strong and do the things you like! (And here's a little secret, because I got picked on, too: if you act like you don't care what they think, eventually you really won't, and they'll get bored and stop.)
One other important thing you should always remember: there aren't things that are 'just for boys' or 'just for girls'. You can like, do, and be ANYTHING if you want to, and if the boys say you can't, it's just because they're worried you'll be better at it. If they give you a hard time, think about what Princess Leia would have to say about what they think girls can do!
Good luck, Katie, and may the Force be with you!
Kit
Hi Katie! I am a girl and I have liked Star Wars since I saw it in the theater for the first time! (yeah I'm that old!) All my friends who are girls and all my sisters love Star Wars. Star Wars is very cool.
Those boys don't know what they are talking about. Lots of girls like Star Wars!
My husband is adopted, and my son had eye troubles and had to wear a patch for a while so you're not all that different. Just remember that everyone has differences and hard times in their lives and you have yours now, but others will have theirs later. You will be a stronger woman for overcoming your differences now and be able to handle the challenges you face in the future much better for having had them.
Sending lots of love and good wishes to you!
Hi Katie:
My fiance showed me this page because he knew I would want to comment. I am a girl and a huge star wars fan! In grade school I had a star wars lunch box, and dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween. A few years ago in college I dressed up as Princess Leia again. My fiance said one of his favorite things about me is that we have so many things in common, including star wars. Many of those things that we have in common are "boy" things! As a matter of fact, the reason I met him is probably again because of star wars. I loved star wars so much that I wanted to build robots like R2D2 - part of the reason I went into electrical engineering (even as an adult this is a "boy" field). If I hadn't gone to school to become an engineer I wouldn't have met him! Be yourself, take that star wars waterbottle to school, and may the force be with you!
Lexi
Hi Katie! I am yet *another* grown woman who loves Star Wars. My Dad took one of my brothers and I to see the first (fourth) movie in the theater back in 1978, I think it was. It was AWESOME. My favorite character is Boba Fett - I think his helmet is cool! I have a daughter who is only a little older than you - she's in third grade - and she likes a lot of things that maybe most girls her age don't (Pokemon and Star Wars!!) but it's OK because they make her happy. Your mom sounds awesome - I'm glad she wrote about your story, even though it makes me a little sad that you'd get teased for anything! Hang in there and I hope these messages help you to know it's ok to be different!!
Hi, Katie! I'm Jamie, and I'm a geek girl myself. But I think you'd probably rather hear about my little girl, Kiara. My daughter is 5 years old and sounds a lot like you. She LOVES Star Wars and CARS and dinosaurs. She started school a few months ago and someone told her that Star Wars was for boys, too. But, it's really for everyone. That's the cool thing about movies and clothes and the world: it's for everybody. :) I know being different can sometimes be a pain, but really, it's better to be yourself, not who other people think you should be. Other people are wrong. :)
*hugs* Hope you have a great day, Katie!
Hi Katie:
My fiance showed me this page because he knew I would want to comment. I am a girl and a huge star wars fan! In grade school I had a star wars lunch box, and dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween. A few years ago in college I dressed up as Princess Leia again. My fiance said one of his favorite things about me is that we have so many things in common, including star wars. Many of those things that we have in common are "boy" things! As a matter of fact, the reason I met him is probably again because of star wars. I loved star wars so much that I wanted to build robots like R2D2 - part of the reason I went into electrical engineering (even as an adult this is a "boy" field). If I hadn't gone to school to become an engineer I wouldn't have met him! Be yourself, take that star wars waterbottle to school, and may the force be with you!
Lexi
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
Dear Katie,
It is only the very coolest of girls who can really enjoy Star Wars the way that you do, and only the silliest and most childish of boys who can't appreciate that. All the girls I care about most in the entire world *LOVE* Star Wars, and any one of them is a thousand times cooler than me any day of the week. In ten years, these boys will be singing a very different tune if they have any sense at all. You, young lady, are VERY very awesome indeed. Good luck in the first grade!
Dear Katie,
I actually have no real memory of the first time I saw Star Wars, but I was told I was very young, sat in a man's lap, and was fascinated with the film until I fell asleep. As a young girl, I remember having Star Wars bubble baths and a "Return of the Jedi" poster on my closet door.
Growing up, I also remember that I tended to stand out for being different. Whether it was because I wore glasses, wanted a dump truck, played with the boys, or had experiences my other classmates did not, I began to feel like an outsider. For several years in grade school, I more or less shut down. As I got older, for one reason or another, I was bullied. I know it's miserable. But for all the teasing and bullying as a young girl, I don't regret one minute of staying true to myself.
A professional now in my early 30s, I'm still an aficionado of Star Wars and love my collection of Star Wars items - though I wish I still had that poster. Now, I can impress many boys with my love and knowledge of Star Wars. And just maybe you'll be lucky enough to have some those boys buy you cool Star Wars gifts. ;)
As you're unfortunately learning at too early an age, life can have its rough spots. Which is all the more reason to have those things - like you Star Wars water bottle - that make you happy. Be proud of who you are - you are beautiful and smart and you are a fellow Star Wars geek, which makes you just about the coolest person in the galaxy!
Hi Katie!
I'm a 21 year old female Star Wars fan, and I have to tell you that being a girl who likes Star Wars is awesome!! There will always be people who don't understand and who are mean sometimes. When you come across those unhappy folks, you just have to remember that it doesn't matter what they say, what matters is that you have the courage to be who you are. And don't ever feel like you are alone! There are so many of us geek girls out there! I've loved Star Wars since I was eight years old, and I still carry signs of my fandom around with me. Just yesterday I had my Rebel Alliance necklace on, and I always have Yoda with me on my keychain. I'm currently a student at Harvard where there are quite a few Star Wars fans like you and me, and just the other day I was stopped by a table of boys to discuss Episodes 1-3. I think eventually they realize it's ok for girls to like the same things. =P So trust me, it gets better!! Stay strong in the Force, Katie!!
Katie - you are awesome!! Me and my best friend (both girls) went to see Star Wars when it first came out... we went to see it 8 times together! And then we bought the soundtrack and listened to it repeatedly, while proudly wearing our Star Wars t-shirts everywhere we went. I wore mine until it actually fell apart at the seams!
I love science fiction, horror movies, cars and video games! And I've definitely been teased about all those things at one time or another... but nowadays guys love me - because I like all those things! And I'm still considered a girly-girl by pretty much everyone who knows me.
So do what makes you feel comfortable, but love the things you love and don't be afraid to be different - it's what makes you special!
Dear Katie,
I'm writing to you because, when I was your age, our situations were very similar. I was a victim of bullying. I wasn't adopted, but I grew up the only child of a single mother, and I liked (and still like) Star Wars and video games. I also have Atention Defacite Disorder, which at the time wasn't as understood or accepted as it is now.
I used to get picked on all the time. I got picked on for not having a dad, for likeing "boy things"(there's no such thing), for being a girl. I kept my ADD secret as long as I could because I didn't want another thing that made me different, but someone eventually noticed that I was going to the office at the same time every day to take a pill, and rumors started spreading. Kids started to call me stupid.
But then it got better. First, a speeker came to my school. He was a wealthy and succesful local business owner, and he had ADD like me. That stopped some of the bullying. Next, my mother enrolled me in girlscouts, where I made lot's of friends and discovered that I'm not the only girl that liked star wars and video games. She also enrolled me in self defense classes where I learned, both how to defend myself, and more importantly, where I learned that whatever else I am, I'm ME, and no one has the right to try and make me be something different.
So keep taking that star wars Bottle to school. Be proud, and when the boys start being mean, tell them they're just jelous and they must not know much about star wars. You also have my permission to tell them that a girl star wars fan from michigan says that You're a very awsome little girl.
*Hug* May the force be with you...Always.
Also, to Katie's Mom. I have some Star Wars books from when I was very young. It's not the full set (some of the books got lost in the move) but i've been hanging on to them in the hopes of passing them on to a young person who I know will appreciate them. They aren't long, each one is less than 100 pages and there are some illustrations. If you're interested you can e-mail me at Megguqt(at)yahoo(dot)com and we can talk about getting them to you somehow.
Hi Katie! I am a woman who has loved Star Wars since forever. I also am a professional artist and I draw Star Wars comic books for Dark Horse Comics! So don't let anyone ever make you think that Star Wars is just for boys--I know a LOT of girls and women who love Star Wars. If you have ever seen Jedi Master Aayla Secura who appeared in Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith or the Clone Wars Cartoon, then you have seen my work. I designed and helped to create Aayla for the comic book where she first appeared (as well as her Master Quinlan Vos who just appeared in the Clone Wars Cartoon.) Being able to create these characters for Star Wars is one of the coolest and most fun things I have ever done in my career. If I'd listened to the bullies and let them dictate how I should try to fit in, I never would have become the person who is uniquely me. So, like what you like and don't ever be afraid to be who you are. Star Wars is for everyone and brave Jedi Knights can be girls or boys. May the Force be with you--always!
Hey Katie! I'm sure you've been hearing this a lot, but there is nothing wrong with being different -- in fact, it is the diversities in the world that make it interesting and fun! AND, there is NOTHING wrong with loving Star Wars! My best friend and I used to hang out at recess and any spare chances we had to have lightsaber battles and reenact the best scenes from the movies... There was this time when we had a project to make a pneumatic city (take a bunch of heavy-duty plastic, cut it into a shape, leave a vent for a fan to blow air into the shape), and I made the Millennium Falcon and dressed like Princess Leia!
Don't let other kids get you down. I would be willing to bet they are jealous of your Star Wars gear and wish they could wear/use it with as much joy and pride as you do! Believe me, I love all the things that some folks think girls shouldn't (Star Wars, Star Trek, Lord of the Rings, video games, etc.), and I found out that guys are actually intimidated and just don't know how to respond to a girl who likes all the awesome things they do!
Don't ever give up the things you love just because somebody else told you to. Good luck, Katie! You are AWESOME!!! May the force be with you!!
Hello Padawan-
I want you to know that I started my Star Wars love right around your age. I loved it then and love it now.
I also want to share with you what I tell my daughter and my nieces (who are about your age)...never let anyone make you feel bad about what you love. All of your favorites make you (all) the most amazing, wonderful, and unique kiddies. As a Mom and Aunt I am thrilled and thankful that my girls all have different interests from science and sports to dolls and dresses. It makes life fun.
Katie, sweetie, I have been a Star Wars fan ever since I was your age, and I still am (I have many Star Wars things; t-shirts, figurines, computer games, a beanie-baby Yoda that I have dangling from my rear view mirror in my car :D, and yes... even a backpack). I was bullied for liking Star Wars too, so you are not alone. I was often called a boy and worse. It hurt me for a while until I realized that my feelings were more important than the bully's opinions. My interests, though different, were MY interests, not theirs, and it was none of their business what I liked and didn't like.
Maybe, they felt threatened because I liked Star Wars. Maybe they felt threatened because I always got better grades than they did and they needed something to bring me down to their level of discomfort (one can only guess the mind of a bully). But in the end, your interests are what make you special, different from everyone else, unique. It is our uniqueness that sets you apart from the masses. Allowing them to dictate what you are allowed, and not allowed, to like will only hurt you more. Carry that Star Wars bottle and backpack with pride, girl. Be happy with yourself, because that is what is most important. If you ever doubt yourself remember all the wonderful people here who back you up. We're behind you all the way.
I had to wear a patch...a PINK one...I wished it was a Star Wars one though :) Don't worry what those boys say b/c you're going to grow up to be a LOVELY, GORGEOUS & INTELLIGENT girl who is going to have lots of friends (and when you're old enough) have LOTS of boys chasing you! You ARE Princess Leia so don't worry about it! This bullying is not nice, but I am SURE it will pass! You have LOTS of people on your side :) Take care Katie!!
Hi there!
I was a Star Wars fan in first grade too, and I was a tomboy. Trust me, Katie, I know how hard it is to be different. But I can tell you that my love of "Star Wars" has brought me far more joy in my life than sadness. Being passionate about something can change your life and it changed mine. Now, over twenty years later, I have a great circle of friends who not only are passionate about some of the same things I am, but embrace me for being so passionate about something. Kids who pick on you are really just afraid. It's hard to guess what they're afraid of, but trust me, by carrying that water bottle you are showing courage and that will mean more to you the older you get. Courage and passion are to be celebrated and I for one, celebrate you Katie! May the Force be with you!
Hi Katie!
Like you, I am a girl who loves Star Wars. My brother and I loved Star Wars so much that, when we were your age, we broke our video tape of the last movie by watching it too many times. This was a very sad thing back in the days before the internet and DVDs, where we couldn't just easily locate another copy! We had to wait several years before we could see Return of the Jedi again.
I loved Star Wars so much that I started playing dress-ups as Princess Leia instead of just other princesses, like the ones from Disney movies. Then, when I was in middle school and high school, I made a bunch of friends who also liked Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings, and a lot of other awesome movies. They liked to dress up for those movies - and we got made fun of a lot for dressing up for them, but we had fun doing it.
Now I've turned that into my job! I studied theatre and costume design in college, and now I get to make costumes not just for people who dress up like their favorite characters and show everyone what things they love, and for plays too!
Don't give up on Star Wars just because some of the boys you know are silly. I bet a lot of them are just jealous because your Star Wars water bottle is cool, and maybe their moms don't let them bring theirs to school with them. And if that's the case, that's pretty sad. I bet you can teach them to be more confident in themselves and not pick on others by showing everyone you know that it's not just okay, but WONDERFUL to be yourself!
Hi Katie,
I'm a 21-year-old girl and I love Star Wars (and Star Trek, too!). I was picked on when I was younger for being a nerd because I was different. In college I finally realized that everything I was picked on for was everything that I loved about myself. You should feel great about who you are now, even if silly boys are teasing you about it. (Some of them might even wish that they had a water bottle that's as cool as yours!)
Don't try to hide who you are, no matter what anyone says. Sometimes that's really hard, but you can do it! :)
Hi, I just wanted to let you know I'm a girl that likes Star Wars too! My name is Kirsten and I'm from the Netherlands. It's not just girls from the US that love Star Wars, there are girls like you all over the world!
Hi Katie!
Like you, I am a girl who loves Star Wars. My brother and I loved Star Wars so much that, when we were your age, we broke our video tape of the last movie by watching it too many times. This was a very sad thing back in the days before the internet and DVDs, where we couldn't just easily locate another copy! We had to wait several years before we could see Return of the Jedi again.
I loved Star Wars so much that I started playing dress-ups as Princess Leia instead of just other princesses, like the ones from Disney movies. Then, when I was in middle school and high school, I made a bunch of friends who also liked Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings, and a lot of other awesome movies. They liked to dress up for those movies - and we got made fun of a lot for dressing up for them, but we had fun doing it.
Now I've turned that into my job! I studied theatre and costume design in college, and now I get to make costumes not just for people who dress up like their favorite characters and show everyone what things they love, and for plays too!
Don't give up on Star Wars just because some of the boys you know are silly. I bet a lot of them are just jealous because your Star Wars water bottle is cool, and maybe their moms don't let them bring theirs to school with them. And if that's the case, that's pretty sad. I bet you can teach them to be more confident in themselves and not pick on others by showing everyone you know that it's not just okay, but WONDERFUL to be yourself!
Hi Katie!
It's ok to be different - I was when I was a kid, and I still am now. It's what makes me special!
Also when I was little, I used to have an Ewok house playset. It was my favorite toy! I also watched Sonic the Hedgehog, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and other "boy shows". The boys may laugh at you now, but when you're all grown up they'll think you're SO cool! :)
~Lianne (Hudson NH)
Hi Katie -
I loved Star Wars, and I have loved it since I was a girl. I am now a spacecraft ground systems engineer. Star Wars and a love of all things outer space is not just for boys - and neither are math, physics, and science. You are great, Star Wars is great - so you obviously belong together. And if you someday decide to get a job working with real outer space stuff, that would be great too! Love you, keep on being your fabulous self!!
Hi Katie! I'm a girl and I've ALWAYS loved Star Wars! I saw the first one in the theater when I was about 12 and I've seen it DOZENS of times since then as well as all the sequels. You keep being yourself and be proud of the things you like. There will always be mean boys and girls, but you should stand up for yourself and show the world you are a wonderful, unique person who is confident and proud.
May the force be with you!!!
Hi Katie - I am a girl and I have loved Star Wars since before I can even remember. When I was a kid I was literally obsessed with all the films and had so much Star Wars stuff... shirts, posters pretty much anything Star Wars that I could find. I loved the movies so much that it ultimately got me interested in making movies, which lead me to a career working in video production.
I want to tell you that if it's something you love, whether it's Star Wars or whatever else, you go ahead and love it. Those same boys that pick on you now will one day recognize you for the super cool girl that you are!
May the Force be with you - always!
Hi Katie!
I was 9 years old when STAR WARS came out, and my dad took me to see it. It changed my life -- I discovered fandom, I started going to conventions, I made so many incredible friends... and now I write SF and fantasy to make other people feel the same way I did when I first saw that movie. And there are so many of us who have similar stories, as you're reading.
Star Wars isn't "for boys." It's for people with joy and imagination and courage and dreams. In other words, it's for YOU.
Hi Katie!
A friend of mine linked this story to me on Facebook. After I read it, I felt I just couldn't do anything else until I left you a comment because I think we have some things in common. First off, a little about me:
My name is Ryan. I'm 29 years old, and I live in Toronto, Canada where I work as a System Administrator (someone who works with computers and keeps websites like this one working). When I was little, kids teased me too...they teased me because I was fat, they teased me because I had glasses, they teased me because I stuttered, they teased me because, like you, I was a geek. I was different; and they didn't like that. While everyone else, all the other boys, played sports...I was inside tinkering with the school computers and playing around making things in the school electronics lab. They laughed at me, they called me nerd, geek...and much worse names that I won't repeat here.
The name-calling and bullying didn't stop unfortunately, it kept going all the way until I was in high school. Do you know what stopped it though? I met others like me. Other kids who were as obsessed with computers as me, other kids who loved Star Wars like you and I do, and who loved video games and comic books and cartoons and Star Trek and...most importantly, didn't care that I had glasses and braces and was fat. They didn't care what I looked like on the outside, because they could see past physical appearances and see me for who I really was. In fact, a lot of them looked up to me, because I knew more about computers than they did. And that right there taught me something that I'd like you to know: geeks like us...we're AWESOME.
Why are we awesome? We're awesome because we look at the world differently, we see what and how things COULD be, not just what they are...and Katie, you'll come to realize just how valuable that is as you grow up. We have a different perspective on the world by comparison to many other people...and that's what helps us become successful. Know who else besides us likes Star Wars, Katie? Bill Gates. The richest man in the world, the reason your computer is able to do what it does, and one of the biggest geeks out there. Know who else likes Star Wars? Sir Tim Berners-Lee, the inventor of the World Wide Web...without him, I wouldn't be writing this to you right now, and you wouldn't be reading it. And...most importantly...y'know who else LOVES Star Wars? My girlfriend, Sabrina. She's sitting beside me right now, watching me write this to you...and she's got a huge grin on her face because she thinks it's AWESOME that you're a Star Wars fan too. Star Wars is something special to both Sabrina and I, and in fact, it's a big part of how we met.
So the next time someone laughs at you for liking Star Wars, don't let it get to you...just remember that you're in good company. Geeks like us, we gotta stick together. Don't ever stop doing what you love, don't ever stop being yourself...not for anything or anyone. I didn't, and now, I get PAID to do what I love.
May The Force Be With You, Katie.
--Ryan
PS: Geek Girls are AWESOME!
PPS: I mentioned being a sysadmin...you wanna know something cool? I name all the servers (servers are computers that run websites like this one) at work after Star Wars characters. I think though...the next server I put into operation, I'm going to name that one Katie. :)
Katie, don't ever change a thing about yourself because you think people expect you too or because you think you won't fit in if you don't. I guarantee that there are other girls AND boys your age that love star wars too and would like that you share interests. Don't let anyone bully you or tell you that you can't like or do something because you're a girl. No matter what, may the force be with you, Katie.
Hi Katie, I am a grown woman who is a Star Wars fan. I was about your age when I first saw Star Wars at the movie theater with my dad, it was one of our things we did together. We also played video games together and played with Legos. I was always into science and math and wanted to be either a doctor or an engineer, I have an engineering degree. I studied Computer Science and Electrical Engineering with a minor in Statistics. After I graduated I went on to study Video Games in Education. We girls who are different are special, we are stronger. It isn't always easy to be different, but believe me it does get easier and somewhere down the line you will be comfortable with exactly who you are and those others will still continue to do what society wants them to do. You are on the path to true happiness, keep up the good work and carry your Star Wars water bottle proudly.
Hi Katie!
Can you post a picture of your R2D2 water bottle? I've never seen one before. It sounds so cool!
I'd love to get one too!
There are many children in poor countries around the world who have never seen Star Wars. They don't know how cool R2D2 is. Many of them don't even have access to good, clean water like we do.
You're a very lucky girl to have an R2 D2 water bottle.
May the Force be with you Katie!
Michael
Hi Katie,
I'm almost 41. I love Star Wars, Star Trek and other spacey stuff. Now, I'm the webmaster for a NASA mission which I think is pretty cool. I don't think I would be doing what I love if I hadn't had that interest in Star Wars (and space) as a kid, being a little different and having great parents. So it sounds to me that you have a pretty good start for your future.
Elizabeth
epoxi.umd.edu
PS I still occasionally, umm, stay home from work when a new Star Wars book comes out! And I am working on my Christmas wishlist and it has Star Wars stuff on it!
Katie, I have loved comic books and Star Wars, video games and super heroes and other things almost my entire life (I was 9 when Star Wars came out in the theater so I bet you think that's a very long life). My daughter is in 4th grade and loves all the "boy" thing I love plus she loves Indiana Jones, dinosaurs and Bakugan.
We have both been victims of bullies that hated the fact that we were different. My daughter had a Batman backpack in second grade and the boys in her class made her come home from school crying on more than one occasion.
But we can't let those small minded poopie heads take away our joy in the things we love!
One thing I've learned over the course of my life is that no matter how different we feel there are many other people in the world who are just the same as we are. They're just not in our immediate vicinity but they are going through just the same problems we are going through.
Stay strong, Katie! We'll all stay strong together!
Katie, don't ever change a thing about yourself because you think people expect you too or because you think you won't fit in if you don't. I guarantee that there are other girls AND boys your age that love star wars too and would like that you share interests. Don't let anyone bully you or tell you that you can't like or do something because you're a girl. No matter what, may the force be with you, Katie.
I'm a female star wars fan too :) don't let them think it's not okay for you to have a star wars water bottle! I play video games and I did karate for 12 years (from age 8-20) and other kids used to say that girls shouldn't do karate either. Being different is good though, it makes you stronger :) I'm 27 now and I'm so glad that I did those different things, I've had so much more fun being who I am than who other people think I should be :)
Hi Katie, my name is Angela. Your mom's story brought tears to my eyes. I have a five year old daughter who started dealing with bullies when she was three. Kids would call her fat and ugly and it just breaks a mother's heart. My daughter is beautiful just like you. And she is the nicest little girl in the world. It got to the point that I had to tell her that she doesn't need to buy friends. She would give anyone the last of whatever she has. You are going to okay if you continue to be yourself. Also, I'm sure that you know how fortunate and lucky you are to have your mom. There are so many kids in the world who don't have parents and it's pretty obvious how much your mother loves you. Stay strong. I tell my daughter to ignore the mean kids, but I know that's easier said than done. People who make fun of others are not happy with themselves. Just remember that, okay? LOL
Hello Katie!
First of all, I must say; I love you name. I have a friend named Katie who is a woman who is very strong and independent, but sometimes she gets picked on for the way she looks and the things she likes. But she has learned not to care, because a someone very wise once said: Those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind.
You remind me of my favorite poem by Dr. Suess-- Oh The Places you'll go.
Congratulations!
Today is your day.
You
AWESOME!!
Hi, Katie!
I hope you're still wearing your Star Wars tee-shirt with pride! You can be a strong girl like Leia: she didn't care about what anybody said! She did what she knew was right and she was different, too.
Star Wars is a great movie and there are lots of girls and boys who love it as much as you do. There is no such thing as a movie that is just for boys or just for girls. There are girls who like Star Wars and action figures and there are boys who like Disney princesses and pink bottles. And the world is so much more fun because of that!
May the force be with you.
I'm not sure if you're still reading after over 1000 comments, but if you are I'm giving you a big e-hug and telling you to love whatever you love and not worry about the others.
My mom wouldn't let me watch Star Wars as a kid, and when I finally did watch it I fell in love with it! I also love video games, so when a few friends wanted me to play an online Star Wars game I did! A lot of other friends teased me about it (and still do), but you know what? I met my future husband on that game! Out of all the people all over the world, I met him and he only lived an hour away. We now have 3 kids (my daughter is in Kindergarten), and are pretty happy.
Since my daughter is the oldest, there's been times when my little boys will want to paint their nails or even dress as a princess!
My the force be with you sweet Katie!
My fiancee, niece, and my soon to be sister-in-law all love Star Wars. My niece's favorite character is R2-D2. My fiancee uses her Boba Fett lunchbox as a purse and she is thinking about making herself a costume that looks like Boba Fett.
Hey Katie! Your story reminds me a lot of myself. I got my glasses in kindergarten, had to patch my eye every day at PE, I was adopted by my dad, and I LOVE star-wars (and tons of other non-girly thing) I was teased for my glasses, my eye patch, and for preferring climbing trees to pretty dolls.
Dad even let me skip school to see the star-wars movies when they came out in theaters! (and the Lord of the Rinds movies too) I've found that if you're happy with who you are then no one else matters. And some day (A LONG TIME AWAY for you) you'll even find a handsome prince who loves you even more because you like all the Nerdy boy things he likes too!
As I've grown up I've learned that you don't have to give up the things you love some days you'll find me in a Starwars shirt and others in a frilly pink dress! That's the power of being a girl we don't have to choose we can be both frilly and cute one day and Starwars and fun the next!
Stay strong youngling! I can tell the force is strong with you! ;)
~LuLu
When I was young, I often felt 'weird' among my peers because not only did I read all the time, I often read fantasy novels, and I preferred to draw dragons instead of flowers. However, I never gave up my love of 'geeky' things, and as a 31 year old woman I like to watch Star Wars, I play World of Warcraft, I buy comic books, and other such so-called 'boy' things (which certainly aren't).
Katie, never forget the Force IS with you, and continue to fly your geek flag high and proud. Star Wars is for everyone, and don't let those boys tell you any differently!
Hi Katie!
Anyone that tells you Star Wars is just for boys doesn't know what they're talking about. When I wanted to order a ForceFX Lightsaber, my wife suggested I order one for her as well so we could have lightsaber battles (we're both 29 years old). As well, we both dressed up as Jedi for Halloween, and everyone thought her costume & lightsaber were just as cool as mine.
Don't let anyone tell you Star Wars (or anything else) is just for boys or girls. Be true to yourself, and you'll come out on top in the end! :D I was teased growing up for liking Star Trek (no one else in my school did), and I know it can be tough sometimes, but it is so important to be yourself regardless of what other people think.
Almost forgot! We dressed up for my wife's nieces last night when they landed at the airport, because one of them was dressed up as Darth Vader for Halloween, and they loved it!
Katie,
Not being a girl I can not comment on bullying from a girl's view, but I would like to direct you to a website that you might find interesting.
I few years ago a little girl, of the same name, also loved Star Wars too. http://r2kt.com/
Hi Katie! I just want to let you know that I am adopted too - and I have worn glasses since I was 8 years old. I have an older brother but no sisters. I played with a lot of boy's toys when I was your age, although my brother was nice and would sometimes bring his GI Joe to play with my Barbie. Just be yourself - if you want to have Star Wars things, then do it. I bet there are other girls in your school just like you. When they see what you're doing it might help them too. (And don't be too sure that you are the only adopted kid. I work with 3 other people - I'm adopted and two of them have adopted kids as well.)
Hi Katie,
I have a little girl named Katie too! She has long blonde hair,and is in first grade, and guess what, she loves star wars too! She is a bit of a girly girl, so she has a pink lightsaber. She has lightsaber battles (usually wearing a dress) with her brother and the neighbor boys. Too bad you don't live closer. She would love another Katie to help her chase the boys! She is at school right now, but if she were here, she would say "You Rock!"
Dear Katie,
I was about your age when Star Wars first came out and I LOVED it! I still love it as an adult, so when I had a daughter I taught her all about it. She has Star Wars Lego sets and books and action figures, and she even wears Star Wars shirts to school...and she's in 8th grade! She made a landspeeder car for the Awana Grand Prix one year and won first place for design.
Her love for Star Wars has turned into a love for science fiction in general, and she now watches several versions of Star Trek, Stargate Atlantis, and Doctor Who. She has Who t-shirts, action figures, and books, and again won first place with a TARDIS car in the Grand Prix. This year for Halloween she wore a Stargate Atlantis costume.
One of her middle school teachers started a rocket club this year, and there are 2 other girls in the club in addition to my daughter. They meet every week and build rockets to launch in the spring. How cool is that??
Be proud of who you are, Katie. Enjoy your interests! There are other girls who like sci fi (and ninjas and pirates), and you will find them eventually. Tonight when you watch Clone Wars, know that my daughter will be watching, too. :)
Hi, Katie!
I hope you're still wearing your Star Wars tee-shirt with pride! You can be a strong girl like Leia: she didn't care about what anybody said! She did what she knew was right and she was different, too.
Star Wars is a great movie and there are lots of girls and boys who love it as much as you do. There is no such thing as a movie that is just for boys or just for girls. There are girls who like Star Wars and action figures and there are boys who like Disney princesses and pink bottles. And the world is so much more fun because of that!
May the force be with you.
Hi Katie,
You sound like a pretty cool girl to me. Be proud of who you are, always. I'm sorry you had to experience how silly other kids can be, but there's a thousand reasons why they are acting so mean and none of it has to do with you. When I was little the only things moms and dads would buy their daughters was girlie stuff in pink -- my least favorite color, ugh. I wish I could have had cool Star Wars stuff!
You know, boys bothered me a lot too. I realize now that most of the time they did it because the either liked me and were too shy to just play with me or, most often, because they thought it was funny to see me get so mad that they just kept doing it. Learn from me and don't let them get to you. Once it gets boring to pick on you, they'll stop. It will take time, but just ignore them and never let them hurt you. It sounds like you have a great mom looking out for you and not every kid (adopted or not) has that.
So, just be you.
Good luck lovely Katie!
Betty
Dear Katie-
I wear glasses, and wear Star Wars shirts, and drink out of a Star Wars water bottle. Occasionally, my daughters and I have lightsaber battles in the backyard. You are one awesome, unique and wonderful little girl. Keep it up honey, have fun, live your life, and ignore the boys. They're stupid anyway
Love,
A Grownup Geek.
Hey, Katie, sometimes boys get teased, too. I did. Too tall, curly hair, easily upset... or because I liked something the other kids thought was stupid.
And I wore glasses. And I got good grades.
And yeah, I dig Star Wars, too. And Star Trek. And Babylon 5 (for when you're a bit older). And, even now, as an adult, I'll watch cartoons. I love Phineas & Ferb: they do all the stuff I dreamed about when I was a kid. (I'm an engineer: I design and build tools used by robot submarines to fix broken stuff underwater. I started building stuff when I was a kid.)
Here's a little secret: we win! Stay true to you. Even as you grow and learn and as who you are changes and grows with you, stay true to you. You do that -- and it's hard sometimes, when your friends or the people you admire do things that you know are wrong -- and you win.
Some of the kids who used to pick on me? At our 20-year reunion, they told me they really admired me. (They just had a really weird way of showing it when we were all 6 or 7 or 10 years old!)
So keep your head up, keep a smile on your face (it keeps the teasers wondering what you're up to ;) ), and use that Star Wars stuff. There's nothing written anywhere that says "girls can't like Star Wars". It's there for anyone who wants to like it. Just be you, and be the best you that you can. I'm 100% sure that's REALLY GOOD!
Hey Katie!
I'm 27 and I've loved Star Wars ever since I was 3 or 4. I also love video games and comic books and other things that some people don't think girls should like. But that doesn't matter - because I know what I like, and clearly you do too! You should be proud of the things you're interested in and passionate about! It's not always easy to face people who tell you to be the same as everyone else, but I know you can do it.
And you know what, I was teased when I was younger because I wore glasses (still do!) and I liked school and I liked things that girls "weren't supposed to" and it wasn't always easy. But now, I make comics for a living because it's what I love. One day, you're going to grow up and you'll be proud of yourself for not giving in and being like everyone else.
PS. To Katie's mom - you're doing a great thing!
Hi Katie,
First of all, those glasses are great (I need some blue ones for Christmas) I've been wearing glasses since I was 6 and I'd have loved a pair like yours. I've also been a massive Sci-Fi fan since I was little. I loved Star Trek and Star Wars, and comics and computer games and everything else that's great in the world.
Stick with it all, I did, I teach Computer Games Design at a University in the UK now, and I love it. I get to talk about comics, computer games and sci-fi all the time - it's fantastic, and I wouldn't been here if I'd have lost sight of who I was.
So you've inspired me to buy some cool blue glasses and go play Star Wars when I get home. Don't worry about the boys, or the girls, or what they say - none of them are brave enough to go with what they want in the first place.
Hmmm, maybe it's time for a new lunch box, I saw a cool Clone Wars one the other day - it would match my stationary set I brought to go 'back to school' with...
Dear Katie,
First of all, you are such a cool little girl! I love your glasses, where did you get them? I am pretty blind myself, good thing my mom took good care of me as a kid, because now I can just wear contacts and nobody even notices. Sometimes I wear glasses just to look cool!
Second, I am SUPER jealous of your Star Wars stuff, I have some myself but not a lunch box! Now I want one. :)
You know, I got picked on at your age by kids who didn't even know what cool was. All those same kids came around later thinking how unique and interesting I was in high school. And a few of the boys who picked on me even tried to date me! Boys are silly for sure.
Anyway, I LOVE STAR WARS! One day I met a very special man who loved that I love Star Wars... because girls who like Star Wars are special! He tells me that all the time. Well, soon he and I are going to get married and merge all our Star Wars action figures on a shelf in our house! I have Yoda, R2D2, and Chewbacca, and he has a few storm troopers and the death star so far. In fact, in our house it is cool to love Star Wars, so you and mom would be totally welcome to stop by anytime!
One more thing... You know who I met last year? Peter Mayhew, the guy who played Chewbacca in the original Star Wars movies! He was huge!! 7 feet tall at least! If that's not cool Katie, I don't know what is! I was so excited I almost cried, hahaha.
Don't ever change, you are on the right path to being a genuinely awesome adult. Just like your mom! I wish I had a mom like yours! Just be who you are and like what you like, Katie. Nobody can take that from you, you can only give it away if you choose. Choose not to! Don't give them the best of you when they don't deserve it.
May the force with you! Keep rocking that lunch box or I will!! ;)
Hi Katie. Star Wars was the first movie I ever saw in a theater. I was four years old and was there with my older brothers and grandfather. I dressed up as Princess Leia for Halloween that year, though I really wanted to be Luke. But I had two older brothers, so they got first dibs on Vader and Luke. It was ok though.
I still love Star Wars. I also love all kinds of other stuff that people think is nerdy. I am a librarian. I love technology. I also love musicals - shows like Wicked, and Spamalot and Fiddler on the Roof too. It doesn't matter what anyone else tells me I should like because I am a woman. What matters is what I like. If you want to drink out of a Star Wars water bottle, please do it. And if next year you want a pink water bottle, or a blue one, or one with a Transformer on it, that's all ok too. You are growing up and so much of growing up is learning who you are - and I'll tell you a secret. It's part of BEING a grown up too. I find new things almost every day that I love, and things that I used to think were the best things ever that I no longer love.
I try very hard not to care what other people think or say about me because of what I like. It's hard sometimes, but it is so worth it.
Dear Katie,
I am a 38-year-old woman, and I have liked Star Wars since the very first Star Wars movie came out when I was five. I used to play Star Wars with my sister and my friend Mark who shared daycare with us. When I was older I would play with my friend Kathy and her Star Wars toys. Now that I am older I have lots of friends, both men and women, who like Star Wars and other movies, TV shows, and books about spaceships and monsters and good fighting evil. I'm really glad that you are feeling better about showing off your love for Star Wars at school, and I hope you can find friends interested in sharing your love for Star Wars. It might be hard to find friends who like those things now, but it gets easier to find those friends when you are older.
Hi, Katie! I'm a girl who loves Star Wars. I think it's totally awesome that you have a Star Wars backpack and lunchbox and water bottle.
I got made fun of by boys when I was much younger, because I was different. It hurt, and I used to cry because of it.
Now that I am older, I think it is silly, really, the things people make fun of other people for - I once got teased because my earlobes are not attached to my head!
My advice to you is to keep on loving the things that you do, especially Star Wars, because it is AWESOME. There will always be people who love you for who you really are and for the things that you love.
Also? The Internet is pretty neat because it can help you find people who like the same things you do. You might be one of the few girls at your school who likes Star Wars, but as you can see, there are LOTS of girls who like Star Wars on the Internet!
Hang in there. You are the coolest first grader I know!
Hi Katie! I'm a girl who has always loved Star Wars. In fact, when I was little, I was very jealous of my neighbor (a boy) who had a very cool x-wing fighter model. I begged my parents for one, but got a dancing doll instead. I sure wish I'd have gotten that x-wing fighter! I now have 3 daughters of my own, and they all love Star Wars. We play with light sabers in our basement and see who can do the best imitation of Darth Vader. Rock on Star Wars girl!
Hang in there girl. Jedis sometimes have problems too, but the Force is always with us. Yoda is proud of you for standing up to those boys.
Hello sweetheart I love starwars all of my female friends love it to.We grew up with it we would pretend we were princess lea and use sweetrolls as her hair. If you love something don't let them take that away from you us girls that love scifi need to stick together. I also wear glasses about your age when I had to get them.I know it's hard right now I got picked on because of them to when I was growing up.Remember you ar this beautiful girl thats smart and brave and you can like whatever you want and continue to be brave and outspoken and don't let them take that way from you.It does get better.I now have a large group of friends that love it as much as I do I'm 38 now but I know what your going through.
Hi Katie! I'm a woman and I've loved Star Wars ever since I was a young girl like you. I know sometimes it's hard to be different but being different is what makes people special! It sounds like you are a very brave and special little girl and your water bottle sounds very cool! If I had one like it, I would take it to work with me.
I also love your glasses! I wear glasses, too, and I wore them when I was a little kid. I used to not like them when I was little, but I love them now.
May the force be with you!
Hello,
I'm a guy, but my wife loves star wars. One year for Christmas I searched and got her all of the original Star wars soundtrack records. This year she is getting more star wars stuff just doesn't know it yet. We even named our little girl after Star wars. Eisliegh after Moss Eisley the star port lol. Star wars isn't a gender based story, its a epic story for all.
Jonathan
Hi Katie! I am so proud of you for wearing your Star Wars shirt to school and doing the things that make YOU feel good. My youngest daughter (who is 5, and also adopted) wanted Toy Story panties this year, but they don't make them for girls. (Can you believe it?) So she got the boys underwear, just because that was what she wanted and she wasn't going to let other people decide what she could or couldn't wear.
I know LOTS and LOTS of girls and women who love Stat Wars, including me. Hang tough, sweetie!
hi katie!
when i was your age i loved star wars. i had star wars figures and wished that i could have a wookiee for a best friend. i was also one of the smart kids. i didn't get to have reading class with the rest of the kids in my grade, i had to go to a fourth grade class. even then, i sat alone at a table at the back of the room because i was ahead of everyone. kids teased me, but i didn't let it bother me. i wasn't going to let them make me feel bad for liking the things i liked or feel bad for just being who i was. no one should ever feel bad for being who they are.
i tell my kids the same things i am saying to you now. i want them to be proud and not be afraid to be who they are. don't ever stop loving the things you do just because people try to make you feel bad. don't give them the satisfaction. keep your chin up, kiddo. you're not alone.
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
Hi Katie!I registered just to leave a comment for you. I am young man who just turned 30. I work for a bank,go to the gym on a regular basis and Im getting ready to join the military. Do you know what i like to do in my spare time? I like to read comics and collect toys. At my desk at work I have my little action figures of transformers, gi joe and teenage mutant ninja turtles. Some people poke fun and ask me why I have this stuff at my desk. My reply, "because it makes me happy". Do what makes you happy (with your parents permission of course lol) Its ok for girls to like Star Wars so keep using your Star Wars water bottle. A little secret, I also like to listen to Justin Bieber but thats between us shhh dont tell anybody.
Katie,
I'm more of a nerd-girl, than a geek-girl, but I do like to get my geek on sometimes. I'm a big fan of Firefly and Buffy, and I can't get enough of Harry Potter. :) Don't let anyone tell you that it's not okay to like something because you're a girl. OR that you HAVE to like something else because you're a girl. What's important is knowing what you like and standing up for it. No one else will ever be as awesome as you are, period. You have an awesome mom, and now you have a few million awesome internet friends. Be strong, Katie, and keeping loving Star Wars, no matter what anyone else says.
Dear Katie,
first of all, I think you are absolutely cool for loving Star Wars. I fell in love with Star Wars when I was an about eight-year-old girl, I'm almost thirty now and I'm still a huge fan. I didn't have a Star Wars water bottle then (though I would have loved to have one :)), but I did have a Star Wars pencil case and I decorated all of my school things with Star Wars pictures I had cut out somewhere. And that was just one of the reasons I got bullied. I considered getting rid of whatever I could that made me different too - including my displays of love for Star Wars. However, that's probably just as cruel as the bullying. Never feel bad about being different, never feel bad about being who you are, because that's the most beautiful thing. Whatever gives you happiness, keep doing that, no matter what anyone says. I hope you'll keep on enjoying your Star Wars love and be proud of it. The boys at school who tell you it's only for boys don't know anything. You are not alone. As you can see, there are many, many female Star Wars fans out there. And we Star Wars girls are awesome.;)
Hi Katie! Never be ashamed of the things you love! I've loved Star Wars since I was a little girl, and I got made fun of, too. I know a lot of girls who got bullied, but as adults we're all much happier as "geeks", and strong, and successful. I know it's hard not to care what other people think, but you need to be happy with who you are and not worry about what other people want you to be. The people who really love you and care about you in your life will love you no matter what, and they'll probably love Star Wars, too.
~Sue (New York, NY)
Hello Katie! I like Star Wars too, and have ever since I was your age (the first job I remember wanting to have was 'Han Solo', never mind that I was a girl). Star Wars is awesome, and you should never be ashamed of liking what you like, whether it be 'for girls' or 'for boys'. Keep rocking your Star Wars love and don't worry, there are plenty of people who think you are awesome for loving Star Wars and being a girl.
Hi Katie and Mom!
I am definitely a girl. Though I prefer grrl, because girls can be tough and mean and fun and sweet and silly. Girls can be whatever they want to be. I have a 6 year old step daughter and we both love Star Wars. In fact, one of her favorite songs is a silly song about Star Wars by Weird Al Yankovic. I think we would both be really happy to see your Star Wars water bottle! It is very cool for anyone to do what they want and not just follow everyone else! Don't worry about what those boys say, because they are probably secretly just jealous that they don't have that water bottle! And one day, those boys will think it is very cool that you like Star Wars too!
Hi Katie - I'm a 31-year-old woman, who was teased a lot growing up. Having skipped second grade, I was teased relentlessly about being a "nerd" because of my grades. I also wore glasses at a young age, and loved things like Star Wars, video games, reading, and puzzles (plus, I was awful at sports).
I can tell you, like lots of other commenters before me, that it gets better. I grew up and stayed true to who I was and what I liked - and I found lots of other "nerds" who have remained my lifelong friends and have always accepted me as I am. I even married one, and we now have a 4-year-old daughter named Grace - her favorite thing is Star Wars (she loves the Clone Wars!)
You are lucky to have a supportive mother and family who love you for who you are, and don't ever want to see you change for someone else. Stay true to yourself and keep your head up!
Hello Katie,
I am not a particularly big fan of the Star Wars movies, but I enjoyed watching them, and having a little brother (who's not so little anymore, he's 18 already) that is a huge fan of Star Wars (he has so many Star Wars stuff in his room, it's quite a mess), I also enjoyed playing Star Wars games with him or by myself (like, when you're older, you should definitely look for Knights of The Old Republic, this role playing game on computer is really nice ^^).
I felt really touched and saddened at hearing that you are bullied for being different. I wish to tell you, that the fact that you are different, is what makes you unique and priceless. Like Katy Perry I believe everyone is a firework on its own (check out the song lyrics, they are nice :)
I may not be a fan of Star Wars or having been adopted, but I am a girl and I have worn glasses almost as long as I can remember, and I know how it can be sometimes hard to be different.
I wish to send you some human warmth and kindness (with some snow, because it's almost Christmas time !) from far far away, Finland where I am right now.
Hi Katie! I found this link on twitter, star wars caught my eye because I've always LOVED star wars, ever since I was a little girl! My family bought my 2 brothers & I lots of the figurines & ships, we used to set up all of our star wars stuff in the kitchen & play for hours. I laugh every time I remember this one time I got upset: I wanted to be Han Solo, & my older brother told me I HAD to be Princess Leia. "I ALWAYS have to be Princess Leia." It didn't occur to me that I couldn't be Han Solo, I just knew he was the cool one with the awesome ship.
I'm sorry that you've had to deal with being made fun of at school. It's not easy to face people who have said or done hurtful things, but I am telling you... the greatest gift you can give yourself... is permission to be yourself. Don't change who you are because of what someone else said. So many people go through life without really being comfortable with who they are. I went through school not caring what other kids thought of me, I just decided to focus on having as much fun as possible while getting good grades. It worked! Just try & remember that when someone makes fun of you or tries to hurt your feelings, realize that THEY are the ones who are hurting inside, and don't let them make you feel bad. Stay strong, stay focused on who you are & what you like. Don't change. Have fun!!! These are the years that you will look back on & treasure all of the memories. I pray that God sends you friends to help support you just as you are. Much love from Alaska, Your friend Carmen Hatfield
Hi Katie! I'm a 30 year old woman, and I grew up, along with my mom and two brothers, loving Star Wars! I even had a cardboard cut out of Luke Skywalker, and a Star Wars lunch box. My friends and I played Star Wars Trivia Pursuit. I agree with other commenters, I liked the series because it made me happy. But also because it has many important life lessons. In fact, we watched Star Wars in class in high school! Why? Because as Joseph Campbell, the famous writer on mythology described, Star Wars is the perfect example of a hero's journey. A hero's journey is something we all have to go through in life where we are called to challenge ourselves, and at first we don't want to or doubt ourselves (like Luke did!), but then we try and though it is hard and we might fail a couple of times, we don't give up. We know we can do great things. That is the hero's journey for all of us - all of us have to take the journey to love and be ourselves. Though we may doubt, though sometimes it is hard, to be and love ourselves is to be a hero. You are on your own hero's journey, just like Luke Skywalker!
May the force be with you, it is already inside yourself!
Court
http://www.webenglishteacher.com/hero.html
Check out this link, it is school lessons about Star Wars and the hero's journey and mythology.
Dear Katie,
I'm a boy, and I've liked Star Wars for as long as I can remember. And do you know why that is? Because Star Wars rocks, and people who like Star Wars also rock.
More importantly, it's important to be who you want to be, not who you think other people want you to be. If you spend all your time trying to be someone you're not, you'll start getting sadder and sadder as you get older, wondering what your life would have been like if you had only tried to be the person you wanted to be in the first place. And it will be No Fun At All.
So take your Star Wars water bottle to school. Wear your Star Wars shirt. Play with Star Wars toys if you have them (my favorites are TIE fighters). Don't be ashamed of your glasses (I wear glasses too), having a patch, or being adopted. Be who you want to be, and be proud of who you are. It makes life a nicer thing to live, and it attracts the sort of people who are proud of who they are too.
-- Kit
Katie,
I am a 29 year old mom with 3 small children who will be your age very soon, 2 of which are girls. I am so thankful that you and your mom were brave enough to share your story! It will be so helpful to me when my kids are older and having to deal with these types of things.
I know that there have been SO many people reaching out and sharing their support with you. I just wanted to add my voice to that mix.
I am a HUGE fan of science fiction, including Star Wars. My favorite show when I was in high school was The X-Files (it's a pretty geeky science fiction show about aliens.) My peers and friends used to give me a hard time for liking that and not liking all of the "girly" shows that they liked. It was hard sometimes. But I decided that I wanted to be who I was and like what I liked, no matter what. And, as I've gotten older, I have found out that there are A LOT of girls and women out there who like science fiction, just like me!
Don't ever be afraid to be who you are! You are so brave and so beautiful and you have a very cool mom for doing all of this to help you! You're a very cool kid in my book!
Hi Katie!
I don't know if I can say a lot that these other awesome girls and women haven't already said! First off, you sound like a great kid. Your pictures are awesome! You are a gorgeous little girl, you remind me of my little sister Carley[who lives on a farm and runs around in the mud like boys do]. The way your mom talked about you in this article, you can tell she loves you a lot. Trust me when I say that means so much, and it will always be special for you. I love my mom so much, i'm so glad that I have her.
Anyways, i'm 23. I remember when I fell in love with Star Wars. I had just turned 4, and my brother got the box set for his birthday. We sat around and watched all three of the originals[because that's all there were back then! And I loved it!] and he didn't seem to interested in it. But I was fascinated with them. There was so much going on! I even loved the two ewok movies they came out with - I can't find them now, which does make me a little sad. As I got older and got into school, I was teased about liking Star Wars too. I was told it was a 'boy thing', along with comic books and video games and legos, all of which I LOVED, and still do - until one very awesome boy came up to me one day and started talking to me about the movies. We became best friends over them, and we'd play every day at recess[sometimes we would play Indiana Jones, which was my second favorite series!]. The other boys started teasing my friend Pat for playing with a girl all the time, but he didn't care. He would just ignore them, which is more than most boys that age will do! This made me very happy.
When I got into middle school, I met my best friend Meg who was also a giant Star Wars and Indiana Jones fan. We would watch either Return of the Jedi[my favorite] or Empire Strikes Back[her favorite]. To this day we are still the best of friends, and we bonded over something as great as those movies. Now that i'm older, a lot of my guy friends think it's so cool that I know so much about those movies, and video games, and comic books. In fact, those things are the reasons we became friends!
I think one of the hardest things I had to adjust to was just a couple of years ago. I never needed glasses when I was younger, but when I turned 17 I had to get a pair. They made me feel very self-conscious at first, because I was not used to wearing them, but all my friends and family made me feel much better about it by telling me how they made me look smart and cute. But I think your glasses look cuter than mine!
Anyways, I hope that all of these wonderful women have made you feel better. We're all proud Star Wars fans - I'm proud to even call myself a Geek AND a Nerd!
If you keep your head held high and be proud of the things you know and love, you will grow to be an amazing, beautiful, strong woman.
To quote all these awesome women, and the guys that commented and are amazing for the way they think, and my favorite movies of all time,
'May the Force be with you.'
Katie. I'm 48 years old and have been bullied most of my life because I don't copy what others are doing, I do what I need to do. Most people copy each other in order to "fit in" and when they see someone doing their own thing, they wish they were doing their own thing too. Those boys aren't really bullying you because you like Star Wars and drink from a Star Wars bottle. Those boys will bully anyone they think won't stand up to them. They're insecure and are trying to prove that they're just as good as you are, or better. I've had to stand up to adult bullies who are just like those boys. They back off when they see your strength.
You're a leader because you do what you need to do, and don't follow the crowd. Katie, carry that water bottle proudly and know that it's a symbol of your freedom and leadership. When those boys start bullying you, take a drink from your bottle and smile.
Hi Katie! I'm a grown-up girl, and I like Star Wars too. My mom took me to see The Empire Strikes Back when I was 3, and I've liked those movies ever since. I used to wish for LEGO Star Wars sets when I was your age. I'm sorry that you're getting bullied, and that the boys you go to school with don't understand how cool it is that you like Star Wars. It took me a long time, but when I finally got to college, I found people who appreciated me for who I was and who liked the same things I did. It's been 15 years since then, and those people are still my friends. The people who bullied me when I was little? I haven't seen or thought of them in ages. Just try to hang in there -- and you can always come home from school and watch Star Wars if you need to feel happy again. Take care, kiddo!
Hi Katie! I hadn't seen Star Wars at your age, but the re-releases came out when I was a year older, in grade 2. I loved them! I had short hair, so I even dressed up as Luke for Halloween! I would have loved your Star Wars water bottle; be proud of it!
Katie, I have a little girl who is crazy about superheros. She went as Robin from Teen Titans for Halloween, and has watched Star Wars with her dad. She's gone through similar teasing (the boys tell her that she can't play superheroes with them because she's a girl, and has since won them over). She refuses to give up on what she loves. You're not alone. Please know that even if your classmates give you a hard time, little girls like you and my daughter make the grown-ups smile with pride. You're true to yourself, and please don't stop because someone wants to make you feel badly. The other kids are just jealous that they can't dream as big as you can.
Hello...my name is Jo-Ann...I loooooooove Star Wars...I drive my hubby crazy because I watch it every time it is on t.v..which lately has been often...It is the best show ever made! I think i have seeen each movie at least 100 times..and will watch them a 100 more! Do not be shy to love the things u love..you dont want to be like everyone else..that is boring...your uniqueness is what makes u special from others..never lose your passion for the things that make you happy, carry that water bottle with pride and know you are nto alone..you are part of a worldwide group of people who loooove Star Wars and that make you one heck of a girl with great taste in movies! Hugs and Love to you! xoxo
Dear Katie,
I remember watching the original trilogy on VHS when I was about your age (ask your mom what a VHS is, you might be too young to know *lol*) and I fell in love with it. Personally, Return of the Jedi was my favorite part of the trilogy. Boy made fun of me too, and yes I did cry and I felt bad, but eventually I realized that I shouldn't let them make me feel bad.
I didn't. I kept being myself, and I like the person I became today because I refused to change. It'll be ok, those boys are just probably jealous because you know a lot more about Star Wars than they do. Keep your chin it, and it will all be ok.
Good luck to you in school and don't forget who you are.
A beautiful, awesome, amazing young lady is who you are.
Hey Katie-
I'm 46 years old and saw the first Star Wars movie when I was just 13. It was awesome then and it's awesome now. My daughters are 22 and 20 and BIG Star Wars fans. They both love Star Wars and Star Trek and other science fiction movies and TV shows and it is so totally cool that you do, too. I love Star Wars so much that my phone makes R2D2 sounds when I get an email or tweet. How cool is that?
As my daughters would tell you, it is it fact completely awesome to be a Star Wars fan and a nerd. DFTBA! (Don't Forget to be Awesome!)
Hi Katie,
I'm a 25-year-old woman and when I was in elementary school, some of the kids picked on me...not because I had geeky things but because we were too poor to buy the geeky things I wanted, so I had very old things. It sucked.
But when I got older, in middle school & high school & then in and after college, I found that even though I don't fit in with everybody I can find really awesome people to be friends with. Some of them are boys and some are girls who are just as geeky as the boys we're friends with. And there are a LOT of us girls who love Star Wars. There's even a store just for women who love Star Wars, it's called Her Universe, because there are so many women who love it that we had to create our own store. So you're not alone, and you're not silly for liking it, you're one of thousands and thousands and thousands of us who think Star Wars and science fiction and other geeky things are cool. :)
Ruth
Hi Katie!
I'm sure you feel better by now considering all the love you've been getting, but I figured I'd throw in my two cents. I'm a girl, and I got teased when I was your age for liking Star Wars, sports, video games and other "boy" things. I'm 23 now, and I still love those things. As a matter of fact, boys my age tend to think it's awesome that I like those things. You're a girl. Be proud of it. Own it. We girls are pretty fantastic, and we can like whatever we want.
And Star Wars being a boy thing? Come on. One of the most powerful characters in the movie is Princess Leia. Who kills Jabba the Hutt?
You're amazing, Katie. Keep on liking Star Wars and being yourself. You're already way ahead most kids your age. You're an inspiration to us all :)
Hi Katie! I'm another grownup female Star Wars fans. It's great that you've gotten so many comments, so that when those boys say Star Wars is a "boy thing" you can tell them for sure that it's not!
As for the glasses, I was so excited to get glasses when I was 8, because I thought that finally I looked as smart on the outside as I felt on the inside! (I was not a very humble child.) And just this week I talked to a college student who was wearing glasses with no lenses in them. She didn't need them to see, but wanted to wear glasses anyway because they're fashionable!
And here's a weird thing: pink has only been considered a "girl color" since about 1940. Before that, pink was the traditional color for boys and blue was the color for girls. So there's no reason anybody has to stick to those color rules, because they don't really mean anything and they could always change back again!
Good luck, Katie! Lots of people (women and girls, but also men and boys) are supporting you from afar.
Hi Katie!
Not only am I female and I like Star Wars, but I also have a little girl who loves Star Wars. Her absolute favorite character from Star Wars is Darth Vader and last year she even dressed up like him for Halloween! She even wanted a Darth Vader lunchbox for school (we couldn't find one though). I bet she would think your waterbottle is cool.
Don't let those silly boys get you down, they may not know just how awesome girls who like Star Wars are. Youkeep on being yourself and don't let those mean boys change who you are.
Katie, I'm a grown Star Wars lovin' woman living in New York City. I have Star Wars sheets and Star Wars tennis shoes, and that is just the start of my collection. Those bullying bozos are just jealous and have nothing better to do. Use your Jedi mind trick on them and tell them to STEP ASIDE, there's a new sheriff in town, YOU!
Hi, Katie. I'm Julie. When I was a little girl, I was different too. Now that I'm grown up, I've figured something out - we're all different. Those of us with courage are different every day, and do things that bring us joy and happiness. Some kids are scared and afraid and pretend to be the same because it makes them feel safe - but they aren't safe, and they don't get to do things that make them happy, either. So you go on with your Star Wars water bottle, and anything else you love, and know deep inside that you're happy, and honest, and doing what you love.
That's what "real life" and being a grownup is all about, you know - figuring out what makes you happy and finding ways to do that. When those other kids are wandering around in high school trying to 'find themselves' and figure out who they really are, you will already know. Because you're brave and true to yourself. You're doing a great job. Keep up the good work.
I've always loved Star Wars too. :) And so does my little girl.
Katie,
I'm a woman, a scientist, and a Star Trek fan. Like your mom said, it is absolutely OK for you to be different. When my daughter was little, I used to tell her to dance like no one was watching. Just be yourself. She is now a strong, independent junior in high school, who alternates between her Harry Potter lunchbox and her Batman lunchbox.
My fiancee, niece, and my soon to be sister-in-law all love Star Wars. My niece's favorite character is R2-D2. My fiancee uses her Boba Fett lunchbox as a purse and she is thinking about making herself a costume that looks like Boba Fett.
Dear Katie, I grew up just outside of Chicago, and when I was 5 years old, the eye doctor said I needed to wear a patch to correct my vision. I was afraid to even leave the house with that patch on, so you are much braver than I was. Later, I got glasses, and I didn't really like them either, but I have never been able to see very well. Eventually, I got contact lenses, and people started telling me what beautiful eyes I had, but I still remember being afraid that the boys in my neighborhood would pick on me for wearing an eyepatch, but I made it through that time in my life, and I have to tell you, Star Wars is and will always be one of the coolest movies ever made. I know adults who still love that movie, so you go girl, carry that Star Wars water bottle, be who you are, love what you love, and you will be fine.
P.S. Sometimes boys are stupid, but they grow up, eventually.
Hi Katie -- I, too, am a girl who likes Star Wars. My Dad took me and one of my brother to see the first movie (ep. 4) in the theater when I was a little older than you - I think I was 7 or 8 - and it was AWESOME!!! I like Boba Fett best - he has a cool helmet.
I have a daughter, too, who likes Star Wars and some other things that the girls her age aren't into so much, but the boys are (Pokemon, Captain Underpants, Diary of a Wimpy kid) and it's OK because it's what SHE likes. Your mom sounds pretty awesome, and I hope that these notes help you know it's totally fine for you to like whatever YOU like! I'm glad your mom shared your story, even though it makes me sad ... hang in there!!
My son is in Kindergarten and would probably fall madly in love with a girl who liked Star Wars. He's cool like his mom. :) Keep your chin up Katie. You'll be the winner in the end.
Hey Katie,
When I was your age -- nearly 50 years ago -- and for a long time after first grade, I was treated badly by schoolmates for lots of reasons. I was fat, I talked too much and I liked comics. Superman, Batman, Spider-Man, Fantastic Four, Aquaman and Challengers of the Unknown to be exact. However, my fellow students quieted down and got very polite when they wanted to read my comics. And I still read them them to this very day, which reminds me...
A year ago, I introduced my lovely granddaughter Zoe, a first-grader in Dubuque, Iowa, who is your same age, to comics. Since then, I can't find enough Power Pack or Fantastic Four books for her to read. And her little brother has fallen in love with all things Batman, even dressing up as him for Halloween.
Katie: As long as you're true to yourself, people will know and love you for it. Not everyone... but almost everyone, especially those who really matter.
Much love and happiness to you and your awesome family... Wayne
Hi Katie! Wow. we are so much alike! I'm a girl, adopted, and I grew up LOVING star wars! In fact, I hope when I have a little girl, she loves star wars too! You're a fantastic little girl and you should be proud for being so brave and true to yourself! Those boys will come around soon enough. After all, if Star Wars was meant to be just for boys, why are Luke and Han Solo so cute? So listen what everyone else here says and just be yourself! May the Force be with you!
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
Hi Katie!
My name is Lillian and I'm a Star Wars fan too! I was teased when I was your age too. No matter what happens, never let those mean boys get to you. You should be able to bring whatever water bottle you want to school. Don't let anyone ever tell you otherwise. Keep your head up, we all support you!
I loved Star Wars as a kid (still do) and also had to wear a patch. I was teased a lot too in school the only thing you can really do is not care what those boys say. Know that you are awesome and that eventually it will pass.
Katie, I was 13 when Star Wars hit the theatres. I saw it NINE times. I loved that movie. I know what it is like to be different too in fact when I turned 40 I wrote a book about it and got it published. Maybe someday you will write a book too and we can get people to stop picking on others because we are different.
P.S. Everyone is different and that is a good thing!
Hi Katie - I am also a grown women Star Wars fan. I loved Star Wars from the first time I saw it and it was the first time I saw a strong brave heroine. Princess Leia was smart and brave and I thought she was amazing. Sounds like you are just like Princess Leia smart and brave so you are my heroine too. You truly sound like an amazing kid and your mom sounds pretty awesome too. Good luck and may the force be with you.
Hi, Katie - I'm a 29-year-old girl, and I love Star Wars. When I was your age, I loved Transformers. I even had tennis shoes with Transformers on them (and, yes, I got teased). I stuck with them, though. Keep being the brave girl you already are, and keep loving the stuff that makes YOU happy! :)
Oh, and I've been wearing glasses since 4th grade, too. I've grown to love my glasses - they're my signature, and I actually look a little odd without them (to my eyes, at least). Keep rocking your pair! There are so many cool women and girls who wear glasses.
Hey Katie!
I'm a 20 year old guy from Ireland and I just read this article. I just wanted to tell you that I think you're so cool for having a Star Wars bottle and bag. I'm such a big Star Wars fan.
There's always going to be people who try to upset you because you like things that others don't. But trust me when I say that your individuality is a great quality you have, and it will only get better as each year goes past. In my whole life the most interesting and fun people I've met are the ones who were given a hard time for liking things and being willing to show it off.
I don't know if I've gotten across what I was trying to.. but I just wish that I had friends like you when I was in 1st grade, as I think you sound really cool. Please don't be embarrassed by your bag or drink holder. :)
Dear Katie,
When I was a boy, my sister and I both loved Star Wars like you. She was also like you because she had to wear glasses and a patch. My mom made my brother and I wear one of her patches for a whole day once! She wanted us to know what it felt like so we wouldn't tease her about it- and we didn't!
I bet those boys weren't thinking about how you felt when they were teasing you. Whatever they were thinking when they said those mean words, it sure seems silly when you look at all the nice words people are writing to you now!
Now that I'm grown up, my sister has a boy, and a girl your age who plays Star Wars with him! We all watch Clone Wars together.
I know your mommy and daddy are proud of you for being brave enough to be yourself. Keep it up!
Wyatt
Katie,
I am a 33 year old different girl who LOVES Star Wars. When I played dress up I did not want to be Princess Leia...I wanted to be Hans Solo! You are 110% perfect just the way you are.
I also have a 5 year old son who loves to watch Strawberry Shortcake and My Little Pony...and he has a pink cup by his bed because pink is one of his favorite colors. And his little sister likes to wear her Superman cape while she plays. They are also 110% perfect just they way they are.
Just keep being you and smiling. =-)
Hi Katie!
I think it's great that you love Star Wars! It's been one of my favorite things almost my entire life. I wanted to be R2D2 for Halloween when I was in first grade and carried a little R2D2 action figure with me to school all that year. When those boys tease you, just think about how awesome all those girl Jedi are!
I made a friend in first grade that liked Star Wars too and we'd play out stories that we'd make up on the bus on the way home so we wouldn't get bored. So who knows, just by wearing your Star Wars backpack, you might find someone that likes it just as much.
I hope you keep showing off your love of all thing Star Wars. Remember in the movie, all it took was one farm boy to save the galaxy! You might start a trend, and who knows maybe save a galaxy someday.
May the Force be with you Katie!
Katie,
I'm a 30 year old girl, and I've loved Star Wars since a kid. But not just that, I also love movies such as Indiana Jones, ET, Transformers, and all the classic "guy" things. I even played with hot wheels. And I was proud of it. Still am proud of it. So hold your head up high when showing your appreciation for something you genuinely love.
And you know what? I've a little boy around your age in first grade. He not only likes Star Wars, hot wheels, and other "boy" things but he also loves things that could be classified as "girly" too. Such as Littlest Pet Shop, and Calico Critters.
Hi there Katie!
Just wanted to add my contribution to the chorus here! =) I am SO proud of you for having the courage to be different and to stay true to yourself! That is just awesome! Being different is hard sometimes, but it is so important to always be yourself even when it's not easy. You rock that Star Wars water bottle, girl! :D Keep up the good work and know that you have so much support from people who don't even know! How cool is that?!
You are such a beautiful girl - keep smiling that lovely smile!
Oh and by the way... you have an amazing Mom! :)
~ Best wishes from a grown up girl who never liked pink either ;-)
Dear Katie,
I only know a little about you, but you sound a lot like me! My name is Katie, I wear glasses, and I love Star Wars. I remember watching them on TV with my family, and before that, I listened to parts of a radio adaptation of the old trilogy that my dad had taped years before.
And I used to get teased at lunchtime too, sometimes. I'm allergic to milk, so sometimes I brought food from home that other kids thought was weird (soy milk? eww, weird!), but I learned to shrug it off, and pretty soon they just accepted that as part of who I was. I bet that your classmates will realize that loving Star Wars is part of who you are -- and if they like it too, then maybe you'll have something fun to talk about! Next time they try to tease, maybe just ask one of them who his favorite character is, and share yours. (Mine's Leia.)
May the Force be with you,
Katie
Katie, I hear you. I'm a girl who loves Star Wars, too. But let me tell you something: you are cooler than you can possibly imagine. Nobody is in the right to tease you about liking whatever you want to like, least of all Star Wars. I've never seen a label on Star Wars that says only boys can like Star Wars. Star Wars was made for everybody to enjoy, and I've honestly never been friends with a girl who DIDN'T like Star Wars, so you're not alone here. Girls all over the world--no wait, girls all over the UNIVERSE--love Star Wars.
And you know what? Right now it may seem tough because a few boys teased you, but in a few years, you'll look back on this and a few things will occur to you. I know this because the same thing happened to me. First you will be proud of being unafraid to show your love for something. Then you will remember, Star Wars is really cool...and since you were all equipped with your Star Wars accessories, then you must be pretty cool, too. And you know what? You ARE cool. I'm 22 years old, and whenever I walk by a girl your age sporting some Star Wars gear, my friends and I talk about exactly how great we think it is. I know a few boys with big mouths might have teased you about it, but think about how many people think what you're doing is awesome, because that's a much greater number of people. And I'm not lying about talking about this sort of thing with my friends and universally deciding it's very cool. It is VERY cool, make no mistake about it. Don't be afraid to show it. And you know what? You might become a role model for other girls, because like I said, TONS of girls like Star Wars. I bet you MOST girls like Star Wars. Maybe by being brave like you're being, other girls will probably be braver, too. So a few boys are ridiculous enough to think that only boys can like Star Wars. Big deal. In a few years, they'll probably be embarrassed about teasing you for it (because they'll realize they prefer girls who like Star Wars too). And right now, today, there are all these people on this post, and so many more you might never hear from, who think you're just the cat's pajamas. I mean just think about all the girls I pass and see their things and never say anything to them (and maybe now I will)--I always think they're cool. I'm serious, I wish I was as cool as you are.
So keep being brave, and keep being awesome. You are not alone, and in fact, people admire you for being courageous enough to be yourself (boys and girls).
Katie, it's so cool you want to show your Star Wars love. I have a son in second-grade, and he loves Star Wars and would love to have a girl to play with that loves Star Wars as much as you.
Keep using your Star Wars water bottle.
Hi Katie!
I wanted to tell you that I think it's really cool that you like Star Wars and that you got that cool stuff to take to school with you. I'm a girl and I loved Star Wars, too! I even had the some of the Star Wars people to play with like Luke, Han, Princess Leia, Chewbacca and my favorite was R2D2 because his little silver head turned around. One day, boys will think it's cool that you like Star Wars, too.
Another thing we have in common is that I also wore glasses in the first grade. It was hard because none of my friends wore glasses and it made me feel bad. Now, even though I have contact lenses, I still wear my glasses sometimes because I like them and I like that they make me different. Boys tell me all the time how much they like my glasses and how smart and pretty they make me look. :)
You may not think so today, but one day, you'll be glad for the things that make you different. One day, you won't want to be like everyone else and then you'll love the things about you that are special to Katie and no one else.
much love, happiness and hugs to you,
Krista
Hi Katie - I am a 35 year old girl who loves Star Wars! My 8 year old daughter, Olive, loves Star Wars too. She got a (toy) light saber & pretends that she is Obi-Wan Kenobi.
She told me "Girls can like boy things & boys can like girl things! Boys can act like girls & girls can act like boys." When I told her about what your mommy wrote, she got upset that the boys would say that to you.
If you like Star Wars, do not be afraid to show it. I know it doesn't feel good when people say things that hurt your feelings or that are mean. But you have got to be yourself! You are awesome, & you are the only one who can show the world just how awesome you are. Own it!
I also have a 13 year old daughter who is into things that most girls her age aren't into - not Twilight or the Jonas Brothers, but anime & manga. When people at school tell her that she is weird, she just says "Thank you!" because they have paid her the best compliment ever.
Hi Katie!
I have a daughter who's one of a set of 8-year-old quadruplets, and she wears glasses just like you. She's the only girl in the whole family, and she loves Star Wars too. She even dressed up as Padme Amidala for Halloween last year. No one gives her a hard time about it, but maybe that's because her brothers won't let them.
Don't let those boys get to you. Be who you want to be and know that your mom and dad love you for exactly that. We'll all be proud of you too!
Take care,
Matt Forbeck
Forbeck.com
Hi Katie! My name is Katie too and I love Star Wars! I got bullied in school as well. I was considered different in my school because I had curly hair and everyone else had straight hair. Several people teased me, and it was a hard time for me. Now I love my curly hair, and others are jealous. I know it's hard to be different when you're in school, but now that I'm older I love being unique. You will too!
Hey Katie - I'm a 30 year old girl and I love star wars and I've got friends who are girls who love Star Wars so much they dress up and play Star Wars with their friends every weekend. Don't let the boys get you down and don't let them tell you that Star Wars is only for boys because its not. There are a lot of girls out there who like Star Wars or Lord of the Rings and Transformers and that's awesome.
Also I'm a librarian who helps boy AND girls find the Star Wars movies and books in my library every week. Boys and girls of all ages, even some old enough to be your grandparents :)
Also I have glasses too, ever since I was not much older than you. My eyesight is terrible and I can't see anything with out them, so you're not alone with that either. Grab your Star Wars backpack and your cute glasses and wear them with pride. Its ok to be different, we're all a bit different and we all feel alone because of it sometimes. But that's why the internet can be great, you've got a ton of other girls out there of all age who are here to help you :)
Katie, it's great you have a Star Wars water bottle to drink out of at lunch. My son is in 2nd grade and loves Star Wars and he would love to have a girl to play with that loves Star Wars as much as you.
Keep using it. It is awesome.
Katie,
You're an awesome girl! I wasn't brave enough to bring the things I liked to school with me. You're such a brave girl!! Keep it up. I'm 32 years old and I love Star Wars. When I was your age I also liked He-Man and She-Ra. Now, I have a husband, and we have a boy and a girl. The coolest girls like Star Wars. The coolest girls and the coolest boys. Those boys must not be real Star Wars fans if they don't know that girls can like it, too.
Stick with it!!
Miss Katie,
When I was a girl about your age, my mommy and daddy took me to the movies to see Star Wars. That was a long time ago (and a galaxy far, far away)! I loved it then, and I love it now. I have been a geek for a very long time!
People tease for lots of reasons, and sometimes it's just to make themselves feel better or to be just like everyone else. Really, it is their problem and not yours.
You are doing the hardest thing ever: being yourself! I am very proud of you for being so brave, and I hope that you will carry whatever water bottle you want, always and always.
May the Force be with you!
Hi Katie,
My name is Cyn. I'm a woman who loves Star Wars. I was 11 years old when the first 3 movies came out. I remember being very excited to go see them with my dad. I may not be as big a fan of it as you are but you know what, those boys are wrong. Their parents should be ashamed for how they're behaving. Geek/Nerd Girls RULE! You let those boys know that Star Wars is just as much for girls as it is for boys. It always has been and always will be.
Hi Katie!
We have so very much in common. Just like you, I'm adopted, I wear glasses, and I'm a BIG Star Wars fan! (Luckily, I stopped needing my patch when I turned 7.) When I was younger, I got picked on by boys and girls for these things and a lot more. I went to space camp and band camp instead of cheerleading or soccer camp, and my mom liked to take me to the science museum instead of the nail salon. Guess what? Now I'm in school to be a DOCTOR! And those boys and girls who picked on me? Well, they're not! But you know what? I'm not going to turn around and pick on them because I'm going to have a really cool job in a few years. I was lucky to find a best friend when I was in kindergarten who liked to be different with me, and even though we had rough times, we're still best friends. If you can find one or more good friends who like you BECAUSE you're different, hold on to them! And even if you haven't found them yet, thank your lucky stars that you have a mom and dad who love you so much.
The Force IS with you!
Rosie
Hi Katie,
I was your age when Star Wars first came out, and I've loved it ever since. I've gone as Princess Leia for Halloween more times than I can count. Here's a picture of the first time - http://tinyurl.com/prinleia. She's still one of my heros. She's smart, funny, brave, and resourceful. Maybe the boys who were being mean are just insecure because they know she's a better shot than Luke and Han!
The greatest gift you can give yourself is to be true to yourself. Your passions and interests can take you to amazing places, and bring wonderful people into your life. Don't let anyone else take away the things you love. That can be hard sometimes. When you get sad or scared, talk to your mom. She sounds pretty awesome. And I think you're awesome too!
May the force be with you.
Katie:
hello! my name is Ruby, and i would like to let you know that carrying a star wars water bottle is probably the coolest thing i've ever heard of a girl your age doing. i have grown up in the southern united states, where people who are different are usually given a much harder time than they would normally receive elsewhere. unfortunately, i have been the victim of teasing for nearly my whole life. i'm not very old (only 20!), so i remember what it was like to be your age and be teased for all the boy things i liked! i loved to play soccer and chase and football with the guys, and all the other girls made fun of me; sometimes the boys did, too. but it is important to know that no matter who makes fun of you, no matter what they say, YOUR opinion of yourself is the ONLY ONE that matters. if you love yourself, that should be good enough for you! if you can't love yourself, then you can't love others. remember that, if you can! i would like to share a favorite quote of mine, by dr. seuss, whose books you might have read in school:
"be who you are, and say what you feel - because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind."
:)
keep your chin up, and i hope you have a wonderful year at school!
I have a 3 year old daughter that loves to talk about and pretend to be 'Dark Vador'. I hope that she has someone like you to look up to when she gets in the first grade.
Katie, I saw Empire Strikes back in the movie theater when I was a first grade girl!!! My dad drove me and my sisters to downtown San Diego (it was a long long way) and they actually had lasers and smoke coming out of an enormous screen during the movie! It was so amazing! I will never forget it. I was so scared, but I watched the whole thing (while peaking through my hands). And then I saw Return of the Jedi with my uncle a few years later. I was just as excited (especially because he bought us one of those giant sized buckets of popcorn with extra butter.)
You know what I was teased about during lunch at school? Beef Relish. My mom would put the leftover roast beef into the food processor with mayo and relish and pulverize it. Then she'd put it in a container in my lunchbox with fork. All the boys would chant, "She's eating DOG FOOD!" (Beef Relish really does look like canned dog food!) And you know what, I loved beef relish so much, I never cared. I couldn't live without that beef relish. :) So kiss your Star Wars thermos and smile. Love is love!!!!