trek

Sadly, I'll probably never experience the joys of time travel. I will have to settle for the vicarious thrills of the Star Trek TV series.

I admit it. I'm a trekker. And one of my favorite passive pleasures is soaking up all the majesty of the science fiction universe of the Trek shows.

I think I love the shows because they have a very optimistic view of humanity and the direction in which we are headed. Everybody knows that the first interracial kiss on American network TV was between that dashing Captain Kirk and the ebony beauty Uhura. Not only was that a sexy scene, it portrayed how immaterial the interracial thing would be in the future.

Another reason why the show is fun is that it explores how people get along with other cultures, ideas and technologies. In this respect, it can be seen as almost like mythology in reverse. Lessons taught from the distant future are similar to those taught from stories of long, long ago. (It's a little bit like the Star Wars prologue: "Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away." Doesn't this strike you as the modern equivalent to "Once upon a time in a kingdom far, far away"?

I love the escapism that the show provides me, also. After a long day at work or school, I adore sinking my teeth into a big gardenburger, sipping some juice and soaking up an episode of great adventure with interesting characters. I love trek.