Yes, I Am a Nerd
O "Star Trek," how do I love thee? Let me count
the ways....
Thy Kobayashi Maru solution astounds, friend
Kirk. And Spock, trusted sidekick, thy passionless
logic, evinced in such phrases as "Edith
Keeler must die," cuts through the fog of human
emotion. Bones, thou might be a doctor, not an
engineer, but Scotty could perform the most complex
surgery on the Enterprise's warp engines in mere
minutes (though he always claimed to need more
time). Chekov, thy swagger amuses. Sweet Uhura,
always fond memories. And Sulu, I hope to see thee
man the bridge of the Excelsior again.
And Jean-Luc Picard? What nobler successor to
James Tiberius Kirk? Thy crownéd dome shines
brighter than Venus herself. No finer acting has
been seen on the "Star Trek" stage. Cocksure Riker,
Number One, thou couldst even charm the most foul
tempered Talosian. Data, my hero. And
blind-as-a-bat Geordi LaForge? Many thanks for
canning the corny visor. Beautiful Troi, thou
knowest what I'm thinking, so no need to state it
here. Beverly Crusher, I'll be thy patient anytime.
And Worf, thy loyalty sets a fine example to
Trekkies everywhere.
Sisko, Emissary, perhaps least known of the
"Trek" captains, thou still stood strong against
all odds. And at thy side, fiery Kira Nerys, whose
electric charm crackled like a molecular phase
inverter. Trusty O'Brien had Scotty's ingenuity and
Worf's dedication. Quark, keep it up, thou wilst
pull one over on Odo one of these days. And
debonair Julian, if not Jadzia, if not Ezri, maybe
thou wilst get lucky with a future Dax.
Thou brought a perfect balance of grace and
strength to the captain's chair, Kathryn Janeway.
With Chakotay's spirituality and Tuvok's
rationality, thou ledst thy people home. Harry Kim,
may thee finally get that promotion. And B'Elanna
Torres? Tom Paris is a lucky man. Happy Neelix, thy
cuisine was creative if not delectable. Dear
Doctor, thou certainly assembled a massive ego with
nothing but photonic particles. And Seven of
Nine... well, I'll see thee again in my dreams.
And now, Captain Archer, thou bringest to the
stars a childlike sense of wonder. With T'Pol,
Tucker, Reed and the others, thou goest boldly once
again.
Yes, I am a nerd. But "Star Trek" has been with
me my entire life (literally—the very first
episode aired the day after I was born). And the
best of "Trek," like the best
of science fiction in general, deals with
contemporary issues and themes in a contemplative
and insightful way. The sci fi franchise doesn't
just explore strange new worlds, it also delves
deep into this world, the here-and-now. May it
continue to go boldly for many years to come.
©2003 Michael
Strickland ALL RIGHTS
RESERVED
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What is "The Daily Strick"?
I have long called
myself a writer, but too often I don't do
what a writer must do daily: write. So
you, dear reader, are the beneficiary of
my resolution to make a positive change in
at least one area of my life. Every single
day of this new year, I will write
something, anything, and post it here. It
is my intention to use this daily exercise
to jump-start my too-long-dormant creative
energies, and perhaps generate some
worthwhile material this year. Hopefully
you will find at least an occasional
amusement or insight in my daily
musings.
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Previously...
5/7:
Still
Writing
5/6:
A
Different World?
5/5:
Sponge
5/4:
MacGyver
5/3:
Mike's
Sky Ranch
5/2:
Baja
Bound
5/1:
Ice
Moon
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