I was 12 when it first came out and it was a great time as others here have said. For me and my friends it was a great time for Star Wars fans, nerds, science fiction and kids in general. All the way up to the time of the Special Editions, where Lucas’ attempts to change our memories and experiences with his new Special Editions, and then trying to wipe the original films from existence.
Back then in the 70’s and early 80’s Star Wars was everywhere which unlike today’s film advertising and was rare to see. It was even on the more serious TV shows that our parents and teachers watched, on the news, and often featured stories and interviews in the newspapers. It was such a cool thing to see something that all us young kids loved so much being shown that way, being talked about, and the general buzz surrounding the film.