So, today is the 50th anniversary of Star Trek’s premier back in 1966. I have no memory of life without Star Trek because, well, there wasn’t a life before Star Trek…for me at least. My 50th anniversary of being ex post utero isn’t for a few more weeks. So, Star Trek has been not just part, but a significant, perhaps the most significant part of my entire memory.
One of my earliest memories is watching the Apollo 11 lunar landing on TV. From that moment on, I was a space nut. All things space, then aircraft delighted me.
With that, my father loved Star Trek. When the programming gods deemed it appropriate to beam the show, our tv was turned to it. Pretty much without fail. Though MASH was a close second.
I don’t remember a first episode. Star Trek was always there. After falling in love with space, though, I would plop down when my dad had the show on. Trying to be non-obtrusive.
Getting older, I connected more and more with the show. The cartoon show helped, but only some. Even the passion that erupted in me for Star Wars didn’t dilute Star Trek. Maybe pushed it to the back for a spell. Battlestar Gallactica, Buck Rogers, no other show displaced it. I remember being asked, when I worked at Microsoft, “Star Wars or Star Trek”. I, in my style, answered “behold my gom jabbar!” I refused to choose one element of sci-fi geekdom. I love them all. But Trek has been there the longest.
After movies, Next Generations, Deep Space stations, journeys of the Enterprise and voyages with Voyager, my delight with the now universe of Star Trek grew deeper and richer. I adore them all.
Science Fiction forms the core of my personal mythology. Both Star Wars and Star Trek exist within the core, the deepest kernel. Delighting in the Jedi way, but also dreaming of attending the Vulcan Science Academy. Deep challenges will always be Kobaysi Maru, and not Jedi Trials.
So, a thanks to Mr. Roddenberry for bringing this whole thing to life. Also, the cast and crew of TOS, and all that followed. My life is unimaginable without you.
