We all have those special memories, the ones that we carry with us forever and never forget about. These are more than just fun days or even simply connecting with people you love; they are things that you will cherish and remember. And whether it be going to a live concert, meeting a famous celebrity, or something else entirely - those are the things that stick with you. Honestly, there’s nothing more meaningful to have something to remember someone or something by.

My question to you all is… do you have a memory like that? And if so, what is it and what happened during that one special memory that is the reason why you cherish it and will probably remember it for eternity?

As for my one, special memory, it is in fact pretty recent; a special fan event took place at Sedalia’s iconic Galaxy 10 theater that was an event tied to the upcoming Sheriff Justice series, a series predating the events of Smokey and the Bandit, set to release on Netflix in 2027 in time for the 50th anniversary of the original film. The theater did a special, free screening of the movie as a way to support the local food pantry, but it was so much more than just a screening; it was a full-day community celebration that featured both meet-and-greets with the cast of Sheriff Justice as well as a screening of the extended trailer of the series right before the film. And the sole reason they did this was because the town of Sedalia was used as the primary filming location, standing in for Montague County. I was there during this event; it took place literally last Sunday. This was so much more than me getting to see my favorite film of all time in theaters; I also got to see muscle cars, an old school bus repurposed to become the Cactus Shack, as well as that iconic black-and-gold Bandit Trans Am, which I literally started drooling the moment I laid eyes on it in the parking lot of the theater. Not only that, but I also got to interact with Sean Bailey, the guy playing as Buford T. Justice in the series, and I also got to interview the mayor and ask him some burning questions I had about the series, such as the reason Sedalia was chosen and how long production took (spoiler: they’re still not done filming, and the cast is fully committed to 20 episodes spanning multiple seasons). I brought food with me to support the cause, as this was also a charity event that was used to support Sedalia’s Open Door food pantry. Of course, on top of all of the fun activities that day, I got to see Smokey and the Bandit on the big screen for the very first time in my life, which is something that I’ve always wanted to do and something that has always been on my bucket list. Not only did I scratch off a bucket list item, but I also got to create a lifelong memory with the film that I will cherish for the rest of my life. Even better, my vlog of the event I uploaded to my YouTube channel has been blowing up on Facebook, with even the mayor of the town promoting it and calling me a “Smokey and the Bandit Super Fan”. Pretty much the entire cast of the series have seen my vlog and have been spreading it all over their feeds, and now, the director Doc Elliot actually wants to invite me to when they do filming days for the series, so I could actually be in the series as a cast member! Out of all of the movies that I’ve seen in theaters for the first time (usually during their original theatrical runs), this is gonna be the one first-time experience I will remember the most due to the extra, fun activities.