Into That Final Frontier

Saying Goodbye

The pang of grief surprised me. I expected sadness; I would be sad for any family losing a loved one. Other than as an actor whose work I admired, I had no connection to Leonard Nimoy, knew little about his personal life and had no desire to learn more. It’s the characters I come to know and love, not the actors, who are entitled to their privacy no matter what the paparazzi and gossip rags say.

Preadolescent when Star Trek was on, my strict bedtime of 9:30 meant I only got to see half of the story each week. It was enough to hook me. When the show’s fans demanded more of the short series and the reruns came on, I finally got my chance to finish the stories.

I’m not sure I recognized Mr. Nimoy as Paris on Mission Impossible, though I knew I liked the character and the show. I think I realized who he was after I saw the full episodes of Star Trek. I remember going with my father to the first Star Trek movie. Other than Disney cartoon features, this was the only other taste in movies we had in common. Not the best of the franchise and way too long, it still satisfied us to see the returning characters.

Spock’s Appeal

The character of Spock is often people’s favorite of the series. His struggles to balance his emotions with his cultural beliefs resonate with everyone. We all do things we know aren’t the best choices, the most moral; experience guilt at our less than loving, kind, or caring feelings; and question why we can’t do things we’re not sure should be considered wrong or harmful. The Vulcan alien was the truest everyman in those senses.

Still, is this enough to warrant grief? I felt sad at the death of James Doohan, Scotty, and Deforest Kelly, Dr. McCoy, but not grief. Even the death of Robin Williams, whose work I adore, was tragic mainly because of his age and manner of death. Leonard Nimoy lived past the average age in this country and had a myriad of fans.

Maybe it’s the simple fact that Robin Williams was a contemporary while Spock was a part of my formative years, so it feels more like losing part of my childhood. Whatever the reason, I pray for peace for his family and comfort myself with notions of Mr. Nimoy whole and healthy and exploring the stars, that final frontier.