Tapestry Kicked My Rear When I Needed It

[lordbaltimore1]

I remember watching Tapestry on TV about 6 years ago when my career was stagnant. When Picard experiences life as a junior, undistinguished officer after he changes history, I saw a lot of myself in who he became. I was literally "running tests" and doing a lot of paper-pushing that was pretty insignificant in the long run. It made me realize that what I was doing wasn't good enough and I needed to seek out better opportunities. While it isn't my favorite TNG episode, it did inspire me to change my life like few works of art or culture previously had.

Has anyone else had a similar reaction to that episode?

 

[2takesfrakes]

I've always appreciated the message of "Tapestry," that it's never too late to evaluate your life and ... make adjustments. I can't say that it changed my Life, but you know ... sometimes it's not such a bad thing to be reminded, whether it be by a friend, a stranger on the street, or a television show that you have all the control in your Life. Funny how we tend to forget that. People already have the key in their possession that will let them out of the cage they're in, most of the time.

 

[Long Syntax]

I'm glad you took inspiration from that episode and I can see how you might be inspired by it. However I think I saw that episode in a slightly different light. A persons being is made up of many interdependent and many seemingly non-interdependent events. All these events make us who we are, and given the chance to go back and change something about ourselves could change us in ways we hadn't expected - and maybe for the worse. Changing something about yourself that you think is holding you back is positive, but in this episode at least the changes Picard made, although seemingly for the better (not being brash and starting a fight) changed who he was and put him on a path that would not allow him to achieve a leadership position.

 

[JesterFace]

I found the episode offensive in a way, Picard says he doesn't want to live the alternate life in a boring job. It's quite obvious that the episode is written by someone who doesn't have health issues or something like that, I'd work even a boring job if I could...

 

[Karzak]

I found the episode offensive in a way, Picard says he doesn't want to live the alternate life in a boring job. It's quite obvious that the episode is written by someone who doesn't have health issues or something like that, I'd work even a boring job if I could...

I don't think it was meant that way at all.

Picard has always been shown to be someone who is an explorer. He thrives on learning new things, finding not only answers but new questions to ask. A job as evidenced in this alternate timeline where he's a junior grade lieutenant was just about the worst kind of hell for someone like him. It has nothing to do with being an attack or insult to people with health issues or handicaps and everything to do with reminding us that the lesson he learned from his encounter with the Nausicaans was that life is precious and you have to thrill, enjoy, seize, and make the most of every moment you can for as long as you are able.

 

[wulfio]

I took the meaning the episode as fortunate favors the bold, and have no regrets.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I hope you don't consider anybody who wants to improve their station in life as looking down on people with health issues that prevent them from doing so.

I see the message of the episode as being something personal about Picard, how the part of his life he rejects was an important formative aspect of who he became. It has nothing to do with looking down on dull jobs. Some people don't mind having dull jobs, but it's not who Jean Luc Picard is.

 

[JesterFace]

I'm not viewing this episode as something that mocks less fortunate people, but when I watched it, I just had the familiar unfortunate feeling "you have such problems".

 

[Karzak]

Exactly who is the "you" in "You have such problems" ?

 

[JesterFace]

Exactly who is the "you" in "You have such problems" ?

It can be anyone who complains about something that really isn't a big deal.

In this case it's Picard who isn't happy with his life as an assistant astrophysics officer.

 

[wulfio]

It is a big deal when you look at the central themes of Trek though...

Toiling in monotony goes against its very foundation. Pre-existentialism, and more specifically, the ubermensch are major themes in early Roddenberry trek. The very idea of being a desk jockey, rather than pushing your boundaries, and maximizing your potential for not only yourself, but mankind, is sort of a big sticking point in Trek...

Society tells us complacency is ok. Trek makes us think maybe it's ok to want more. That's why so many people identify with it.

So when someones core ideology is that of growth, pursuing passion, and boundless possibilities, having that assistants job with no possibility of advancement is definitely a problem. If that was me at 50 something, I would be equally despondent.

 

[JesterFace]

As I talked about healthy and able people before, I must say that at least they do have the possibility to advance in their career and life, some don't... Maybe that sounds like complaining about "nothing" to someone who is not able to live life like the majority of people do.

 

[jimbotron]

If you have a chance, check out Wil Wheaton's interview on Mission Log. He mentions how watching this episode put his acting career (specifically TNG) into perspective and helped him get past the bitterness.

 

[YJAGG]

I found the episode offensive in a way, Picard says he doesn't want to live the alternate life in a boring job. It's quite obvious that the episode is written by someone who doesn't have health issues or something like that, I'd work even a boring job if I could...

But these are relative terms what one person sees as boring could be the ride of a lifetime to another.
And Picard was comparing his life to his life, and which would you like Jr Lt or Skipper of the Flagship?

all in all it reminded me of the Road Less Traveled poem

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

But these are relative terms what one person sees as boring could be the ride of a lifetime to another.

Indeed. Not everyone is cut out to be on the cutting edge all the damn time - some people actually LIKE 'normal' jobs which provide a comfortable anonymity.

You can't force people to change the world, after all. If the choices are "lead, follow or get out of the way" - well, I'd just as soon get out of the way. I prefer to live like that, in fact!

But this episode isn't saying that everyone should be like Picard. Maybe it's saying we should all learn from our mistakes, but that's just common sense, really. I've done some dumbass shit in my time, but if I went back and erased it from my history, I'd be left with nothing.

 

[DonIago]

I enjoy the episode, but I find it slightly bothersome when Riker and Troi basically tell "New" Picard that even if he wanted additional challenges and responsibilities it wouldn't change anything for him. You would think they might be a bit more encouraging or, as alleged explorers, open to the possibility that they hadn't seen all that someone was capable of.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Obviously Picard retains the memories and personality of his original timeline, so if he actually tried to explain to Riker and Troi what had happened, I wonder if he could convince them?

I mean, sure they might dismiss him as being a boring old cubicle drone playing at Walter Mitty fantasies, but if this timeline had any run-ins with Q, they'd at least know who that was...

 

[DonIago]

Yeah, I almost wish this was a 2-parter so we could learn a bit more about that alternate timeline. I would have liked to have met the captain at least.

 

[Anwar]

It's a sign of a good story that so many get so many different messages from it.

I took it that Picard had to be shown that he couldn't just pick and choose what had happened to him in his life, and that those mistakes he wished he had avoided actually are what made him the Man he was.

It's basically the opposite of "It's a Wonderful Life", instead of seeing all the good he did with his life he's forced to see that it was the bad things he disliked that were important to who he was.

 

[DonIago]

Er...isn't that exactly the point of "It's a Wonderful Life"? I think the opposite of IAWL would be if Picard had discovered that the timeline where he didn't get stabbed in the heart was actually much better for him.

 

[JesterFace]

Even if I love TNG, let's just agree that "It's A Wonderful Life" is better than 'Tapestry'.

 

[wulfio]

Even if I love TNG, let's just agree that "It's A Wonderful Life" is better than 'Tapestry'.

But we can agree that the outrageous okona is better than west side story.

 

[DonIago]

...we can?

 

[JesterFace]

Even if I love TNG, let's just agree that "It's A Wonderful Life" is better than 'Tapestry'.

But we can agree that the outrageous okona is better than west side story.

What do you mean? Does this mean that The Outrageous Okona isn't the best at everything?

AND NOW - back to the topic which is Tapestry and its rear end kicking abilities, sorry.

 

[ZapBrannigan]

Tapestry is well-written and highly intelligent, especially compared to most episodic television.

But we can't all be the big boss or have a dazzling career, so the message can sting a little if you dwell on it.

 

[wulfio]

Tapestry is well-written and highly intelligent, especially compared to most episodic television.

But we can't all be the big boss or have a dazzling career, so the message can sting a little if you dwell on it.

it's not about being the big boss at all. it's about living your life with passion. And for those of us that live in the western world., it's absolutely possible.