You never know what you had until it’s gone, that saying irritates me. How can one not know what they have? Are they living in a world so selfish that they can’t see what is right in front of them? Why do people feel the need to throw away everything for something that is fleeting?
I cut my teeth on science fiction; literally, the first television show I have the most vivid memory of is Star Trek, the original, just in case there were questions regarding my age. A follow up on that were old horror movies on Saturday afternoons, Bela Lugosi, Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff were the order of the day. I was transported to a different place, a different time. Both futuristic and in the past, different planets, different continents, it was a unique way to grow up.
I learned so much from watching these shows, differences were to be celebrated not feared, what some see as monstrous, others see as miraculous. Fear incites atrocious behavior, and being a blood-sucking creature is bad.
Being human has its downfalls, we are fraught with frailties beyond the physical, what we don’t understand we ridicule and sometimes literally beat to death. What a horrific way to live, constantly fearing what one doesn’t understand, what is different.
I, for one, don’t understand it, when I was in elementary school I didn’t think I was human due to what I had watched at an early age. I didn’t think like everyone else, I craved the unknown, I wanted to be different, I knew I didn’t want to be one of the villagers killing the “monster”. When all along the monster was inside of them, the villagers were the monster, as I got older I realized that as a human I have the ability to not become one of them. I had the ability to make a choice, to become something else, someone else, embracing differences.
Yes, I was the weird kid in school; never quite fitting in, I read a lot, A LOT, as Tammi can tell you. I have always said whatever popped into my head; I have learned to temper that with a little common sense. I wore what I wanted, I didn’t follow the crowd, I was a fully functioning human at a young age.
I wasn’t bullied, because, well honestly, I was a little scary, ok, more than a little, I could take up for myself and didn’t put up with anything. I didn’t care what people thought about me and didn’t care what they said about me.
I honestly don’t understand why parents are not teaching their children to stand up for themselves against bullies, and I don’t understand how I have digressed into this topic. However, while I am here, people, teach your children fortitude, teach them that their differences are to be celebrated and teach them to stand up for themselves, where they can. I am not speaking about children who have disabilities, I am talking about the children that are for all intents and purposes, “normal” I use quotation marks because I really have no definition of what normal is, but in this instance I am speaking to the ones that have no physical limitations, no emotional limitations and are not fighting a learning disability.
For the parents of the bullies, what is wrong with you? You know your kid is mean! They had to learn it somewhere, I am guessing at home, since that is where I learned to stand up for people who have a hard time standing up for themselves. My grandpa taught me that, take a stand, don’t allow anyone to run over you or anyone else.
Isn’t that what this country was founded on, taking a stand? Standing up for the “little” guy and ourselves?
Star Trek Thoughts
The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few, with those words we are taken into the darkness. I have been in love with Star Trek since I was four years old, the characters spoke to me, and the storylines held my interest and fired my imagination. There were times I wanted Spock to be my dad, I wanted to grow up and marry Captain Kirk and Scotty was like a loveable Uncle. Bones was the grumpy old neighbor and I wanted to be Lieutenant Uhura. She was on the bridge, confident, self assured and looked good doing it.
I have watched all of the incarnations of Star Trek, I have stuck with them even when it seemed that they had lost their way. I was not overly fond of Deep Space Nine towards the end; I loved Voyager and was hopeful during the reign of Captain Archer.
When the first “new” movie was announced, and I heard J.J. Abrams was at the helm, I was reserved, although I love him, this was my beloved Star Trek. I have to be honest, he has not disappointed, he has taken Gene Rodenberry’s vision and stayed the course. He has given us a whole new lease on the franchise, by rebooting it and taking it down a different timeline he has opened a slew of opportunity for new stories. New takes on old stories, he is staying true to the concepts of good Science Fiction, tell a good story, give us some gadgets and interweave a moral.
This latest installment did not disappoint me; I am not going to give anything away, no spoilers here. I am going to just say that the characters are true to themselves, the humor, the intensity, the loyalty are all there.
I am still in love with Kirk, I still want Spock as a dad, Scotty is looking less like an Uncle as Simon Pegg has done an outstanding job in adding layers to this character. I still want to be like Uhura, she is a force to be reckoned with, and I love the relationship between her and Spock with the new timeline.
All in all, J.J. Abrams has been respectful to the long time loyalist all the while bringing in a new generation to enjoy this amazing franchise.
I will not get into a debate regarding Star Trek vs. Star Wars, they each have their own merits, personally I enjoy both for what they are. Although, let’s be honest, Star Trek paved the way for Star Wars.
The television show opened avenues for other aspiring Science Fiction storytellers; Star Trek brought it to the mainstream like none other before it had. I feel very comfortable telling everyone, everywhere, I am a Trekker; I will be applying for my honorary status as a Star Fleet Officer.
Revelations
I am a Trekker, there I said it, and I know you are all shocked, what, she’s a nerd? Ha! Live long and prosper, and yes, I stopped typing to do the Vulcan sign. I have been a Trekker since I was 4 years old, Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock captured my imagination, and Lieutenant Uhura let me know I could be anything, even on the bridge of a Starship all the while wearing a great outfit and boots. Reach for the moon, land among the stars, they traveled the universe meeting new races, some didn’t have human form. They taught us to respect life, all life, not just the ones we are comfortable with.
When it was announced that J.J. Abrams was going to direct a reboot, not the same storyline, but a completely different look at the whole thing, well I was apprehensive at best. I love J.J. Abrams, every television show he has done I have watched. But this was my beloved Star Trek, what was he going to do with the characters I have loved almost my entire life.
What he did was nothing short of amazing, he respected the fans, he gave us a plausible cause for an entirely different timeline and he gave us a fond look at our own beloved Spock before making us fall in love with the new one. To say I am once again hooked is an understatement, I look forward to the new one, and I will go back and watch the first one in his reboot to get ready for this one. Captain Kirk was a renegade, a cowboy; he has kept the same rebel spirit in this Kirk, so happy to see he is not towing the Federation line.
There you have it, all of my nerd glory, I wear it like a badge of honor, I am proud of my Science Fiction roots, I am happy I was left to my own devices to discover my own loves, my own passions. Art, literature, history, television and science fiction, what a combination.
Rant
I am a Star Trek loving nerd, I would rather read than go to a party, I could spend weeks in a museum, as a matter of fact the Dallas Museum of Art has a fantastic bed in it on display. I don’t know if they have a shower but I could totally live there.
I have all of the outward appearances of being a fashion icon, and I am, trust me I love my shoes and boots and clothes, but I love my books more. I know it is a horrifying admission; I hid my tendencies in high school, never coming out of the closet for fear of ridicule. Actually that last part is not true, I never let my geek flag fly in high school because there was no one there to equal my geekiness, I didn’t want anyone feeling less than me.
Now, as I grow older, I find I do not care who knows how truly nerdy I am, I still watch Star Trek, rally anything with the word star in it, Star Trek, Stargate (all of them) Star Wars, the Last Star Fighter, I think you are getting the gist of my viewing habits. I will read anything, almost anything, I refuse to read 50 Shades of Grey, hideous book, sets the literary world back, well, it doesn’t books written in the past were so good, this one just is a joke. Why are people reading this trash? I can’t even get past the grammatical errors to get to any of the “good” parts. And now, now, I read they are making a movie based on this insidious claptrap? How? Why? Pandering I tell you, that is all it is, the world is simply giving into anything lascivious in nature and forget good writing, forget a plot line, forget anything that makes sense.
I find myself more and more annoyed at a world that has forgotten the art of the written word, a turn of a phrase, simple grammar. Lose, loose, two different words, two different meanings, I do believe that people have forgotten that, I see it all the time. Let’s look at that word in a sentence, shall we. Paul will loose the bolt. Paul will lose the bolt. In one sentence he is loosening something and in the other he has lost something.
Sometimes I admit it takes every ounce of self control I have not to correct people on social media. I control myself because deep down I do not want to hurt anyone; however is it doing them any favors by allowing them to continue in the way? It is a gamble, some people might be appreciative, others might cuss you out, and it’s a tough call. I think I shall choose my battles; it is difficult though, when the errors are so blatant, my fingers go to the keyboard, they hover, then, that part of the brain that says, “Hold the phone” takes over and I back away and don’t say anything. I admit, I allow this to continue, I do believe with social media being so popular we are truly seeing how the school systems are failing our children, and colleges. I have seen college graduates make simple mistakes, people with more than just a Bachelor degree, scary.
It is truly horrifying in today’s society that the best seller is a book that is so poorly written a 2nd grader could have done it, and the classics are falling by the wayside. I am sad for our future society.
Total Geek Happenings
I am going to admit to a major geeky thing I am going to do, I am so excited! On May 3, the Irishman and I, starting at noon, will be at the movie theater watching all of the Avenger movies, Iron Man I and II, Thor, The Hulk and Captain America, culminating at midnight with the showing of The Avengers, so freakin excited! I am going to totally geek out!
I love the Avengers and I love Joss Whedon, I cannot wait to see what he has done with this franchise. Expect live tweeting, if you are not following me on twitter, now is the time. I will not be tweeting any spoilers of the new movie, no fears on that end, probably a lot of O.M.G and Wow and Joss Rocks, will be on the menu of tweets.
Does anyone out there have a total geekfest coming up? I know Jess does. If not what is your favorite geek out moment in your life? I have too many to really mention, however, my very first total geek out was at Star Trek the Motion Picture, it was when Spock walked onto the bridge wearing all black. An epic moment indeed.
so I confessed mine, your turn, confess yours.
Angie World 