Okay. I admit it. I've been AWOL for literally months. I restate all the obvious platitudes as my excuse: When life hands you lemons, make lemonade. What does not break us, strengthens us. When the going gets tough, the tough get going. I could tell you about it, but that would be pretty boring.
It would be much more interesting to tell you about my lifelong love affair with Mr. Spock.
Shocking, isn't it? Bet you never knew the old Vulcan - or the getting older Ms. Fair - had it in them. Well, you see, it was quite serious about 43 years ago (42.725 Earth standard years according to the guy with the ears). I was 6 years old at the time that Star Trek hit the TV screen. I think I fell in love instantly. (And I can tell you, Daniel Boone's friend, Mingo, was quite upset as he got shoved to second place in my heart.) I watched Trek when it first came out. I know that because my memories of the show include watching it with my brother who died in 1968 when the show was just starting its 3rd season. Mark was always cracking jokes about Captain Kirk and his puns.
Me? I named my Siamese cat Spock.
What is it about the outsider, the lost one, the man who is (as Mingo put it on the old Daniel Boone series) a 'confusion to himself' that so intrigues women? I have to admit for me it also had something to do with that black patent leather hair and those ears. Leonard Nimoy never 'did' it for me. It was Spock. Poor confused, constricted, conflicted Spock. I didn't want to help him out of his troubles, I just wanted....
Well, who knows what I wanted when I was six.
So what has brought about this rekindling of the affair? Why, the new Star Trek movie, of course. If you are a long time Trekker like me and did not see it, then seek it out at the $1 cinema or catch it on cable. The film was a 5 star, AAA+ homage and refit as far as I am concerned. (I should know, I saw it 6 times!) Sheer genius concocted the idea of an alternate timeline that allows the movie to both honor the old show and yet be fresh and new. Oh, and I always kind of liked the crusty old physician too (and his affectionate adversarial fights with my guy). Karl Urban 'channels' McCoy masterfully.
And now, about the NEW Spock.... Well, I think I'm in love again. Zachary Quinto is wonderful. His Spock is a little 'kinder and gentler'. He has more emotion seething under the surface, but then, this Spock is young and straight out of the Academy. Anyone who knows the original series canon knows it took Spock years to decide he wanted to be totally Vulcan. Just watch 'The Menagerie' where he smiles upon finding an unusual plant that sings and you will know what I mean. Unfortunately, this time I'm the one on the...older end of the affair. I was 6 when I fell in love with Leonard Nimoy's portrayal. He was 36 or so. I'm 50+ now and the new kid (yes...sigh... kid) is 31.
Oh well, there's always time travel....
By the way, my granddaughter Leah saw the movie with me. She went in with a crush on Kirk and came out of the theater telling me that I was right. Spock was the cute one. By the way, Leah is 6 years old.
I guess they do make them like the used to.
