>> RANTS > FROM THE PEN OF THE MASTER GEEK

Thanks Gene

Well, I made it back to Portland. Can I just say how much I love this city, and how I would never live in SoCal (unless by name was Katzenburg or any other slimy movie CEO so I could be an ass and drive a air conditioned gass guzzler into LA). But, at least I had a good time at Disneyland (I always do though). I fully admit to getting into the magic of Disney. Sure, it’s just another in a long line of money grabbing corporations (even more so now). But, it can’t be denied that Disney has inspired many a youngesters and even some adults to create and tell great stories. It got me thinking about people who inspired me. As cheesy as it sounds, I have to attest my desire to tell stories to primarily one person… Gene Roddenberry.

Star Trek (and its spin-offs) had followed me through all the rough spots in my life. I could always count on Star Trek to make me feel good about life and the future of humanity. I sat back and let my mind wander into the dark recesses of memory. It all started one night when I was about five years old. I couldn’t sleep, which didn’t seem that odd to me since I never could. This time though, I risked leaving the comforts of my bed, and sneaking out into the den to turn on the TV. It was Saturday after all, cartoons were sure to be on; never mind the fact that it was 3 am. I sat as close as safety would allow, then turned the knob on the TV just enough to produce a soft glow but no sound, I would deal with that when I found a show. I came upon an odd looking program, not made of animation cells, but live people. They wore funny colored shirts, black pants and boots, except for the woman who wore far less then I was allowed to see around adults (not that I really noticed). Two other men were there. Each one’s face was half black, half white although on opposite sides of each other. They didn’t seem to get along. Everyone else did though, no fighting or yelling, no guilty feelings. Everyone was working together for the greater good of humanity, I wanted to be a part of this. My path was set, a hero spoke to me.

Over the years I came to memorize every title, every line. To this day I still know them all. I also came to know the man who made it all possible. Gene Roddenberry, a small time script writer in the late 50’s and early 60’s with a dream of creating a positive outlook of humanity, much-needed at the time, since the people were once again being dragged into a horrific war that had no morals. I learned of all the obstacles he had to face because of a network that censored every idea he wanted to talk about. NBC didn’t want the audience to see blacks and whites working in harmony together as equals, at least. How dare he let a woman order a man around, and a black woman to boot! Gene still did it though, through creative writing and sometimes outright lying. But the show was quickly canceled after its first year. The viewers ,however, spoke up and the show went one. Gene continued to challenge America, knowingly or not, to look at its own ideals and then work to change them.

For me it worked, although I would often get caught up in the fantasy of the show. Over time I understood what Gene was trying to tell us: we are masters of our destiny. No matter who attempts to stop us, we can not choose to be thwarted. The future is indeed ours to make. I choose to become a writer, for good or bad, since that is what I am. I thank Gene for inspiring me come to that choice. When everyone else told me to become a prison guard, through Star Trek, he said "No". Follow your "best destiny, everything else is a waste of material". I thank you, Gene Roddenberry, the great bird of the sky for helping me along my journey. Perhaps someday I will be writing for his legacy, which continues even today. Then hopefully, more young children will sneak out of their rooms and be forever inspired.