Well done, Chris!! B) Awesome work.
It was weird for me when I was 14, when I realized that I was growing out of the usual cartoons and stuff I was into before then. I was left reeling and with a wandering imagination. I needed something more than simple fantasy worlds and video games (even though those played good parts of my childhood.)
One night I was bored, flipping through channels on TV. And there came on Star Trek: The Next Generation, and without thinking about it I just put the remote down.
The Best of Both Worlds episodes were on. "This show is awesome..." I said to myself as the 2nd hour concluded.
While it was heavily syndicated with re-runs of episodes often showing, I then found out that TNG was about to wrap up its 5th season, and I caught part one of
Time's Arrow when it premiered that weekend, again left reeling for more! So between watching reruns of previous seasons, and the weekly new episodes... I watched every airing religiously. The following year my parents took me to a Trek convention in Boston. I got a Uniform, a combadge, and one pip to hold the rank of Ensign.
Reality hit me when my dad passed away in ’94. Everything changed and my world seemed shattered with him gone. The grieving months went by, but next to my family, I escaped to TNG, putting my uniform on and acting episodes out in parts. I always felt safe there, getting lost in the stories. It helped me heal; no one is ever alone on the Enterprise.
Despite his passing, I could go on and on about how great those days were and how happy Trek made me… But more to the point, getting into Star Trek was an explosive experience. Imagination, possibility, hope, courage…It helped me further explore these things within, and today I consider myself a playful explorer with a love for the outdoors, astronomy, art, music…things that provoke curiosity, wonder, and a sense of adventure.
While daily life can be a drag at times, it is important break away from the mundane. Share in your adventures with those you love and it tends to make life that much more awesome, for those experiences are timeless and transcend everyone, no matter who you are or where you come from. And challenges: They can be overcome
together.
Twenty years later, the kid in me squee’s that I have my own starship. There are no limits. So boldly go.

Steve