I Am Spock

I don't remember a time before Star Trek. I was born the year it was cancelled. I grew up in a time of syndicated episodes, and always hurried to watch in my grandfather's den every time I visited them. It was just something I loved. I watched every episode faithfully. And when the movies were released, I watched them, too.

And I loved Spock. I don't recall the exact moment, but I know I had several times where I identified with Spock. Quiet, introverted, fascinated by information. If I had been part of that crew, his was the role I most wanted to take. His people the people I wanted to be a part of. I remember running upstairs after we got home from Wrath of Khan and being horrified that I couldn't watch a new episode, proving to me that Spock wasn't dead at all. That he would never really be gone, so long as we had the show. Unfortunately, Sports won out that day over Star Trek, and the usual syndicated slot was taken by an extended baseball game.

So by extension, I loved Leonard Nimoy. How could I not love the man who created a character I loved so much? And the more I knew about him, the more I adored him. He put his passion into everything he did. Spoke out about things that truly mattered to him. So much so that many things were released that might never have seen the light of day, like Never Forget, which spoke about the Jewish experience in a way that had not been done before.

When I got a twitter account, his was one of the first celebrities I added. His posts about life always made me smile. His memories of his Star Trek companions even more so. And too, he spoke out about his illness, the one that took him from us. I will always admire him for his courage and generosity. I only hope he and DeForrest Kelly and James Doohan are up there smiling down on us.

It has always been in the back of my mind that I should read his books, but I'd never gotten around to it. Not until someone gifted this one to me for my birthday. I loved it from the first page. Nimoy shines out of the page, his voice so clear in my ear it is as though I am hearing it on tape. But too, it only makes me wish for more. I will be tracking down his first book, because I want to read more. I do hope, though, that someone who knew him well finds a way to write a final book about his life, covering all that this book stops before. Because I would read it. In a heartbeat.

I highly recommend this to any Star Trek fan. There is simply so much that goes on behind the scenes that you can't tell from the finished product. Nimoy's narration never drags down, but pushes you along, curious as to what will happen next, even when you know.

And one final word; to quote Nimoy: LLAP.