Beyond the Rim of the Starlight

I've been in the closet about this for a while now. But it seems that now is the time to come out- I'm a pretty huge Star Trek nerd. Don't get me wrong, Star Wars is and always be my first love, but for a time in middle school (partly to differentiate myself from my Jedi-inclined brother) I fell into Trek hard, especially Next Generation (and that's why I was so cool in middle school). I guess you could call me Sci-Fi-Bi. Seriously, I wish I had some of the pictures to show you (but am secretly glad I don't): Me in my starfleet uniform (complete with cheap Geordi LaForge-style visor), me attacking a Klingon with a lightsaber at Dragon*Con...I even had Klingon language instructional tapes (though I never learned a word of it).

And now, with the new Trek movie coming out, I find that love re-emerging. I bought a box of cereal because it had a starfleet insignia flashlight in it. I'm considering ordering an Enterprise uniform t-shirt from the back of a different cereal box. I find myself thinking back fondly on Picard and Data- the adventures they had with Q and the Borg...even young Wesley Crusher, always saving the day. And I look around and notice I'm not the only one. Nerd culture has gone main stream. It's not just the cool new movie, either (JJ Abrams, the guy who did Lost, directed a Star Trek movie? Even if it had terrible reviews, I'm there opening day). Comic books and video games are cool. Geeks nowadays are the people who aren't on the internet, not the ones who are. It's interesting that I've inadvertently become kind of cool, just by being who I've always been. I guess those after school specials and Disney Channel movies were right.

Cheers,
Eli
p.s.- The post title is a reference to the words to the original Star Trek theme. I don't think they ever played on the air, but here they are:

Beyond the rim of the starlight,
My love is wandering in star flight.
I know he'll find in star clustered reaches
Love, strange love a starwoman teaches.

I know his journey ends never.
His Star Trek will go on forever.
But tell him while he wanders his starry sea,
Remember, Remember me.

Man, how wonderfully cheesy is that?