Saturday, September 09, 2006

To boldly go

As I was in my post writing winddown last night I was silently flipping channels and game across a special on Star Trek. It was all about the series, the spin offs, the movies, the fandom. And it hit me like a phaser set on stun. Star Trek has had a major impact on the world.

I remember the first episode I saw. It was Kirk fighting in the arena. Then he had to go around and collect the stuff to make gunpowder. I was totally blown away (sorry) From that moment on I was a major trekkie geek to the extreme that fellow members of my girl scout troop used to show me and my crew off like the freak show at the fair. I can not tell you how many countless letters we wrote when Star Trek got pulled from the air.

Yet, look what happened. It spawned movies, series, it pretty much influnenced life as we know it. Would we have Stargate, Firefly, etc without Star Trek? Would we be writing this blog without Star Trek? Would we be writing our stories without Star Trek?

Gene Roddenberry opened our minds up. He made imagination limitless. He taught us that we could boldly go where no man has gone before.

Thank you Mr. Roddenberry.

1 comment:

  1. Anonymous5:03 PM EDT

    I just got around to reading some of the back blogs and immediately knew I had to read this one. I am a Trekker from the word go. I remember watching the very first aired episode, and I remember thinking how great it was going to be to have TV shows that catered to people who wanted more than the mundane world of contemporary human experience. Alas, the mundane world triumphanted a short three years later, and mediocrity settled over the airwaves. Yet, quietly, like that thief in the night, Gene Roddenberry's creation refused to be smothered. Today, 40 years later, we have had movies, books and not a few more TV series that explore the future envisioned by the Star Trek creator. Yet, even more important than that future he envisioned for a TV show, we have some of his great lessons. IDIC (infinite diversity in infinte combination) remains a mainstay of ideal politics. Kirk's "I choose not to kill today," from that episode you mentioned upholds personal responsilbity and choice. LIVE LONG AND PROSPER, a blessing in any language. Yes, we have a great deal to thank Gene Roddenbery for. How about that first interracial kiss? How about women in space?
    Thank you Gene. May you rest in peace.

    ReplyDelete