What is a Master?

I was watching the new Star Wars movie today and I was thinking, "What is a Master?"

The likely answer would be: "If you live long enough you are liable to be the Master of something, even if it is just surviving to old age which is no small skill in itself.

When I watched the first Star Wars in 1977 in Summer at a Drive In Theater with my then 3 year old son (I was 29 in 1977) I had no idea what a phenomenon Star Wars was going to be other than being as popular then as an Ironman or a Jurrassic Park. But, I had no idea then what a franchise it would be worth billions and billions of dollars and more over time or that Industrial light and magic would change the way all movies (or most of them were made) from then on.

So, as I watched Leia and Han and eventually Luke there (since they are all around my present age) it was sort of like old home week. Han Solo was still the Bad Boy everyone loves. Luke is still the contemplative Farm Boy, and Leia is still the Princess and a General now in charge of armies. So, they are all still more of what they were before and in this sense they are all masters.

If you live long enough you become a master yourself. It comes with the territory. Just surviving through multiple eras and generations takes mastery in itself. If you are young (under 25) soon you will find out what it is like for newer generations to make fun of yours. So, you sort of smile and remember when you did that of previous generations too when you were young.

So, learning to accept both praise and criticism in stride is also the mark of a master.