"Keep looking, you'll find yourself there." is one of the lines that I've heard from many people about, Star Trek, and it's true, sort of, I haven't found my counterpart, but did find my place, Deep Space 9.
Today is the 55th anniversary of the television debut of Star Trek the original series, a television show that would change the world. People's outlook on the future changed to one of hope.
Most of the science fiction from that era and before was all about alien raiding parties, planetary conquest and the destruction of all mankind, very few tales of the future being one of human achievement. Until Gene Roddenberry pushed for a story of man regaining a track of peace and exploration.
After the original series, The Next Generation wouldn't debut until 1987 but would continue with the quest for peace and exploration, it expanded Roddenberry's dream of our future.
Up until this time, I was far more into the world of Star Wars than I was in Star Trek, the Lucas version was a bit more like the adventrous swash buckling classics that I enjoyed. I didn't even start watching Next Generation until it was in syndication.
Then on January 3rd 1993, Star Trek Deep Space 9 would premier and I found my home in the universe that Roddenberry created. My family was in the tire business for over 50 years, roadside truck stops were part of my life, I got them, I understood them because I grew up in them and this was a truck stop in outer space. It was a connection to the Star Trek Universe that I didn't know I was looking for. Even though I liked Next Generation, it was DS9 that made me a, Trekker and proud of it.
A more in-depth blog about DS9 will come soon, but it's Roddenberry's effect on society that I want to address here, how that if you do watch enough Star Trek, you will find yourself, or at least you place in that universe, sooner or later you find it, and you're hooked, even if on just that one show. Because I found my place there, the rest of it all makes sense now, it's inspirational to me, I get chills when I see that classic ship on the screen.
There are certain moments in film that I will never forget, seeing the USS Enterprise on the big screen in 1979 is one of them, even if it didn't hit me until far later in life, when the moment happened for me, that memory came awake like the dawn of a new day, a kid, staring up at the screen and being in awe.
A television show that broke barriers down in many ways for the late 60's, fan participation, racial diversity, ethnic diversity (in the positive ways) unlike a lot of shows today, it gave a bit of hope for everyone that mankind can truly and boldly go, where no man has gone before, in so many ways.
Thank you, Gene!
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