Posts

Showing posts from March, 2015

Live Long and Prosper

Image
Live Long and Prosper. What does that even mean? Living long is not living forever, and prosperity -- however it is defined -- is reserved for the living. As a benediction, it seems entirely illogical. Yet there it is, the single most recognizable line from the most iconic character in television history. I have considered that line a bit since Leonard Nimoy passed away before the weekend. I also considered, as I often do, my own attachment to that show and that character. As a child, I was small, shy, emotional, and a math nerd. Sometimes I was on the wrong end of a playground bully, and sometimes I watched my tears fall. I felt myself to be an "other." At age 9, I made a vow to myself to show no emotion -- at least not in school -- no matter what. I would contemplate everything, and stay calm no matter what. For two years, maybe more, my school life included not so much as a single smile. During this period, I discovered Star Trek .  It was in syndication by