The Final Frontier
In my life there have been very few celebrity deaths that have affected me in any way. Sure, many famous people have died whose deaths shocked me, saddened me, or made me reflect on their careers and personal lives. A couple of deaths deeply saddened me and almost made me cry. DeForest Kelley’s death way back in 1999 shocked me. He was and still is my favorite actor from Star Trek. However, the internet as a whole was still finding its footing and social media was nothing like it is today with the instantaneous report of a person’s death and the just as instantaneous flood of recounted memories, funny moments, musings, poems, and other forms of paying respect to (or hating) the deceased, so there was no constant feed of such things to work on my emotions.
The death of Harold Ramis also shocked me. As Egon on Ghostbusters, he was my favorite member of the team. I also enjoyed the many other productions that he was involved with whether it was as a writer, an actor, director, or otherwise.
Prior to today, the death of Robin Williams was the most recent celebrity death that had an affect on me. I wept briefly and feel no shame for admitting that I did. Hearing Williams’ voice on Aladdin or seeing him in Hook made my eyes well up a bit. It was tough, but I moved on rather quickly.
Today, February 27th, a certain celebrity passed away that tore my heart apart. For those of you who don’t know, Leonard Nimoy, Mr. Spock from Star Trek, passed away from his ongoing battle with COPD. I took his death very hard and I cried. His death, coupled with the many tributes and memory sharing by friends and celebrities alike, tugged at my heart even harder than the death of DeForest Kelley.
I MISS Mr. Nimoy. I never knew him, never even met him at a convention or glimpsed him at one, but I felt like he was a part of my life. As Mr. Spock, Nimoy represented many nerds out there. He was an outsider, half human and half Vulcan. He suppressed his emotions as much as possible but they still managed to squeak through at times. He was respected for his knowledge but also received as a bit odd (or too darned logical). Kirk and Bones saw his intense use of logic as both a hindrance and an excellent quality. He could be very funny whether he meant to be or not. He was an excellent person…..and now he is gone.
Trekkers and Trekkies across the globe and the entirety of humanity lost a brilliant and wonderful soul today. Rest in peace, Mr. Nimoy. I hope to see you in the Final Frontier…..
Ken's Alternate Universe! 