Monday, March 2, 2015

Paying Final Respects to Our Honored Dead

Last week, we lost someone very dear to us: Leonard Nimoy.

I have been dreading this post, because I'm not sure I can produce the words to express what his passing means.

One of my earliest memories is watching reruns of Star Trek: The Original Series with my father. Even at so young an age, Mr. Spock was fascinating to me.

I loved how Nimoy chose to play the character, and how the character truly evolved before our eyes.

The logical, emotionless character certainly wasn't unique, but Nimoy added something no one else had before: a heart. He helped us care for the character and feel the love he couldn't.

This was best expressed in the episode "This Side of Paradise" by D.C. Fontana. Spock chooses a life without emotion and love in return for duty and responsibility. If you haven't seen it lately, it is wonderful.

Eventually, Nimoy would try to distance himself from the character of Spock.

It's certainly understandable. No actor wants to be typecast into one role.

But eventually he came around to see what the character meant to the throngs of fans.

And they did embrace him!

The Vulcan salute and phrase "Live Long and Prosper" are synonymous with geeks everywhere.

At times we have even embraced his emotionlessness to protect ourselves from the bullies of the world and the ones who couldn't love us because we were so weird.

When his death was announced on Friday, I cried. To me it was different than when we lost Robin Williams last summer. You see, Robin Williams belonged to everyone. All people had a special connection with him.

But Leonard Nimoy was ours alone. He was a mentor when we needed wisdom, an ally when we needed strength and a companion in the darkest times,.Most people don't understand what he meant to us, but he helped us be a better part of this world.

I couldn't help but watch the funeral scene in Wrath of Khan again when I heard the news, and the words of Captain Kirk ring true:

"Of all the souls I have encountered in my travels, his was the most Human!"

Cue the bagpipes playing "Amazing Grace"!

Farewell, my friend. We are better for having known you.

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