A
Amaris
Guest
Hello once more my friends,
I was at work, downloading images to hard drives and running network diagnostics, when I started thinking about how much I like Star Trek and how imbedded it is in my life, particularly my youth. So I thought maybe start a thread about a Star Trek related story you might have when you were growing up, or even one now. I'll start off to set the tone, but make sure you tell your stories, too!
Here's one of mine:
My dad taught me to work hard for everything I have, that it would help me appreciate what I earned. I still consider this to be good advice, and very true.
When I was about 14 years old, I went with my family to my aunt's house, to have a cook out. It was the middle of summer, and very hot. Well, while we were there, my dad started talking to my aunt's neighbor, and the neighbor was wanting to paint his house. It was a two story house, kind of shaped like a barn, really, but very nice. My dad, being an outdoor laborer all his life, offered to paint it for a reasonable price, and my uncle decided to help also. Well, this was good for their neighbor and he agreed.
A couple of days later, we all came back over and my dad and uncle began work on the neighbor's house. Well, while they were painting, I was sitting on the porch, reading one of my Star trek novels (I only had two, Sarek by A.C. Crispin and Shell Game by Melissa Crandall. I was reading Shell Game), and their neighbor noticed what I was reading. He said, "so, do you really like Star Trek?" I nodded my head and said "yes! I love Star Trek! I love Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, Scotty, Bones, Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, Lt. Uhura, I love the Enterprise and all of the adventures they have, yes I do!" He laughed and he said "Wait right here, and I'll be back."
So he went back over to his house, and came back with a box a few minutes later. He sat the box in front of me, and said, "You know, John, I used to be a big Star Trek fan myself." I said, "used to?", and he said "Yep. I guess I kind of grew out of it. You may one day, you never know." I replied, "never! I can't imagine not loving Star Trek!" He laughed again and opened up the box. He very carefully pulled out a comic book and showed me the cover. I gasped. It wasn't just a comic book, it was a Star Trek comic book, a well preserved Star Trek comic book. I had never seen one. I didn't even know they had existed.
He smiled when he saw my reaction, and said, "here's what I'll do. Since you're a big Star Trek fan, I'd like to give you one of these comic books. They mean a lot to me, but I want you to have one. You remind me of how I used to love the show when I was your age." I was in shock.
But I replied, "Thank you sir, but I can't just take one. I want to earn it." He raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Do you know what you want to do to earn a comic?" I said, "Yes sir. I would like to help my dad paint your house. Would that be good?" He laughed and said, "that's just fine." And he got me a brush and a palette of paint, and I started painting the side of the house facing my aunt's house. I painted all day and late into the evening, covered in sweat and paint, and I covered the whole bottom 5 1/2 feet (it's all I could easily reach) of the house from side to side.
He was impressed. He even said, "that looks almost as good as your dad's work! Nice job!" I went to clean up and came back out and he had the box with him again. He opened it and told me to pick from any comic that didn't have a silver wrapper on it. Only three or four did, so I picked one near the end of the row. It was this one:
He said, "good choice!" Before he closed the box though he asked me a question. He said, "Have you seen that new Star Trek? Deep Space Nine?" I told him I had, but that I didn't know if I liked it yet or not (it would be some years before I became a Niner). He said, "ah, well then let me help you decide." And he gave me one more comic book. This one:
I still have these comic books, and they mean a lot to me to this day.
To some they may not have any real monetary value, but to me, they're the effort of one Trekkie to another to carry on the torch.
Who would like to go next?
J.
I was at work, downloading images to hard drives and running network diagnostics, when I started thinking about how much I like Star Trek and how imbedded it is in my life, particularly my youth. So I thought maybe start a thread about a Star Trek related story you might have when you were growing up, or even one now. I'll start off to set the tone, but make sure you tell your stories, too!
Here's one of mine:
My dad taught me to work hard for everything I have, that it would help me appreciate what I earned. I still consider this to be good advice, and very true.
When I was about 14 years old, I went with my family to my aunt's house, to have a cook out. It was the middle of summer, and very hot. Well, while we were there, my dad started talking to my aunt's neighbor, and the neighbor was wanting to paint his house. It was a two story house, kind of shaped like a barn, really, but very nice. My dad, being an outdoor laborer all his life, offered to paint it for a reasonable price, and my uncle decided to help also. Well, this was good for their neighbor and he agreed.
A couple of days later, we all came back over and my dad and uncle began work on the neighbor's house. Well, while they were painting, I was sitting on the porch, reading one of my Star trek novels (I only had two, Sarek by A.C. Crispin and Shell Game by Melissa Crandall. I was reading Shell Game), and their neighbor noticed what I was reading. He said, "so, do you really like Star Trek?" I nodded my head and said "yes! I love Star Trek! I love Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock, Scotty, Bones, Mr. Sulu, Mr. Chekov, Lt. Uhura, I love the Enterprise and all of the adventures they have, yes I do!" He laughed and he said "Wait right here, and I'll be back."
So he went back over to his house, and came back with a box a few minutes later. He sat the box in front of me, and said, "You know, John, I used to be a big Star Trek fan myself." I said, "used to?", and he said "Yep. I guess I kind of grew out of it. You may one day, you never know." I replied, "never! I can't imagine not loving Star Trek!" He laughed again and opened up the box. He very carefully pulled out a comic book and showed me the cover. I gasped. It wasn't just a comic book, it was a Star Trek comic book, a well preserved Star Trek comic book. I had never seen one. I didn't even know they had existed.
He smiled when he saw my reaction, and said, "here's what I'll do. Since you're a big Star Trek fan, I'd like to give you one of these comic books. They mean a lot to me, but I want you to have one. You remind me of how I used to love the show when I was your age." I was in shock.
But I replied, "Thank you sir, but I can't just take one. I want to earn it." He raised his eyebrows, "Oh? Do you know what you want to do to earn a comic?" I said, "Yes sir. I would like to help my dad paint your house. Would that be good?" He laughed and said, "that's just fine." And he got me a brush and a palette of paint, and I started painting the side of the house facing my aunt's house. I painted all day and late into the evening, covered in sweat and paint, and I covered the whole bottom 5 1/2 feet (it's all I could easily reach) of the house from side to side.He was impressed. He even said, "that looks almost as good as your dad's work! Nice job!" I went to clean up and came back out and he had the box with him again. He opened it and told me to pick from any comic that didn't have a silver wrapper on it. Only three or four did, so I picked one near the end of the row. It was this one:
He said, "good choice!" Before he closed the box though he asked me a question. He said, "Have you seen that new Star Trek? Deep Space Nine?" I told him I had, but that I didn't know if I liked it yet or not (it would be some years before I became a Niner). He said, "ah, well then let me help you decide." And he gave me one more comic book. This one:
I still have these comic books, and they mean a lot to me to this day.
To some they may not have any real monetary value, but to me, they're the effort of one Trekkie to another to carry on the torch.
Who would like to go next?
J.
