Friday, February 27, 2015

A Tribute Letter to Lenoard Nimoy (Mr. Spock from Star Trek: The Original Series)

Mr. Nimoy... You and Bill Shatner inspired a whole generation who grew up watching you. I was one of that generation - the last of the baby boomers. Star Trek has inspired Civil Rights, Technology Development and Space Exporation... The list goes on...  

No one television has affected so many, so widely for so long and still affects yet a new generation of "Trekkies" through the acting of Chris Pine, Zachery Quinto, Karl Urban, and the entire new cast of a "new timeline" of Star Trek.

The contributions you and your fellow actors by bringing to life Gene Roddenbury's vision of a
better, kinder, and gentler world made a difference when it first Broadcast. After the first year Nichelle Nichols had decided to leave the show until one night at an event she ran into a fan of Star Trek, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., who she told she was quitting to which Dr. King replied "You Can't !... Don't you know what you represent.. The first female, African-American bridge officer ever portrayed on screen. ". Nichelle returned and you and your comrades continued to bring to life Gene's vision.

Those of us who grew up with you, no one except our generation, will know the love, the reverence, and the kindred spirit that we all share with your cast. You realized it for the first time a Star Trek convention was held expect 300 to 400. When you went on stage, there were 3000-4000 fans waiting. You knew then this was not just another series. It was an event. It became a cult of "Trekkies". 


Those same Trekkies who grew up and created things like the floppy disk drive (like you used on your computer on the Enterprise), the cell phone (which was developed in part from inspiration from your communicators), the PADDs which, more on later versions of Star Trek (like Next Gen and DS-9), that those same data PADDs inspiried what we have today - they called iPads and Tablets; and even what we have today that is in every house, on our walls and tables - the Flat Screen TV. 

You even brought from an ancient Jewish cabal, the vulcan sign of peace (the famous "v" made with your had by separating your middle and ring finger to form a "v".  So much of what
you and the cast brought to life, meant everyting to a generation which grew uip and changed the world through the inspiration of Gene Roddenbury's vision, portratyed like no other actors have like your fellow cast members.

You you will truly be missed. Loved and adored by many. But your spirit will always be with us. In our hearts, in our inspriations, in our visions of a better, kinder, gentler world. Even with the horrific tragedies humanity is inflicting on itself (ISIS), you and your cast helped a whole generation and now whole generations, to see beyond the mundane and look beyond to the future, where no one has gone before - where there is no hunger, no want, no need unfilled so that humanity can pursue higher pursuits.

You will always be with us in our hearts and we will never forget you , nor will we let our children, grand-children, and great-grandchildren the incredible cadre of actors who through not just acting, but emboding the characters which Gene Roddenbury envision, brought to life hope for the future. Leonard, may your spirit "Live long and prosper".