How different would you be without your father?

[Danoz]

I was thinking about how different my life would be if my father had not existed through my formative years. I've always found my father to provide a logical, astute perspective with every challenge I face-- and through his guidance and advice on how to deal with people I have landed jobs, earned promotions and continue to be inspired by his confidence and wisdom.

It seems like Kirk, in the original timeline, had a similar situation. He was inspired by his father to pursue a life of service. How different a Kirk is this one from the one we've known? I dare say that without the influence of my father I have no idea what kind of mindset I would have.

Thoughts?

 

[Garrovick]

On the other hand, I stopped talking to my Father when I turned 19 and joined the USAF in 1969. Not a conversational word from then until he passed in 2004.

The day I took the oath, my life did a 180 from horrible to excellent. Never looked back and neither of us had one regret.

 

[Kail]

More like, how would I be different WITH a Father. I think I'd be a dick, as my Father was an asshole who abandoned us when I was 2 and my sister was 2 months old. Never paid a dime in child support and never saw us again. Times were sure different back then. Courts did not care about dead beat dads.

 

[Gojira]

I had an active alcoholic father who was very cold and distant and angry. He died when I was 17. I am now 45.

In some ways the painful experiences are what have made me challenge myself and to grow. It has made me who I am today.

Maybe I wouldn't change a thing.

 

[Amaris]

I love my dad dearly, but he has his... quirks.

If I had never had a dad, I think emotionally I would be missing something, but in terms of "success", I'd be at the top of the tech tree. Wall Street, Tech Market, running a fortune 500 company, married and with children, a very nice home, and general financial and familial success. I'd also have really good credit.

J.

 

[od0_ital]

I'd be very different, considerin' Dad raised me (and my three siblings) after Mom died when I was nine years old.

No tellin' what I would be like if I had lost both my parents as a kid.

 

[Mr. B]

I grew up in a traditional, reasonably peaceful nuclear family household. I couldn't begin to calculate how different I'd be without both parents.

 

[indranee]

my dad and I have had a conflicted, highly emotional relationship. we both love each other to bits. I'd be a completely different person without him. and I think he'd also be a completely different person without me.

 

[clint g]

I grew up in a traditional, reasonably peaceful nuclear family household. I couldn't begin to calculate how different I'd be without both parents.

Same here. One thing is for sure, I would not be thee same person without my dad

 

[theFirebottle]

I would probably be much more of an asshole than I am now. I grew up in a nuclear family household with a twist: Dad's the houseparent, Ma's the career bureaucrat. I think my ideas about gender roles were shaped by that, but I dunno how different they'd be.

I'd probably be a lot stupider, insecure, and antagonistic about it, too.

Might also have become a Mac person.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

My dad is my whole life. He raised me pretty much on his own (my mom had been very ill since I was 2, she died when I was 11). I love my dad and I owe him everything. He is very nearly a living god in my eyes. Without him, I would be completely and utterly lost.

 

[indranee]

^aww.

I yelled at my dad the other day for some stupid reason. he yelled back. (we didn't really raise our voices. we just got a little snappish).

we immediately felt bad.

btw, if not for my dad? I don't think I would've been as big a Trekkie as I've become. he always encouraged my Trek-mania. bought me all the VHSs, movies, even DVDs. he read all my Trek novels when I wasn't looking. this year, he even went to BK and bought me the new BK toys. and, given that I am a girl, he was always completely gender-blind. he taught me how to drive, change a tire and all the rest.

I'd be much less of a woman without my dad (and my mom).

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

Funnily enough the movie made me ask myself "what would my life be like if I had a father." What if Pike gave ME the challenge he gave Kirk, to rise above the circumstances of my life. I started thinking about what my life would be like if I had had an awesome father (I do have a father but he was pretty much non-existent through my upbringing, nice but had little if any influence). It suddenly struck me that a person could choose to live as though they had the wonderful upbringing we always hear inspires people, even if this has not been the case.

Repeated viewings of Trek always generate a lot of thoughtfulness for me.

 

[Islander]

I actulally never met my father and I grew up without any masculine figures until my mother met my stepfather when I was 8. I turned out just fine (I think, anyway). They only "missing" part is an interest in sports that I have replaced by more cerebral interests, like Trek!

 

[Deckerd]

My Dad's 80 this year. What a slagging he's going to get. Old git.

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

I actulally never met my father and I grew up without any masculine figures until my mother met my stepfather when I was 8. I turned out just fine (I think, anyway). They only "missing" part is an interest in sports that I have replaced by more cerebral interests, like Trek!

If you were going to be interested in them it would have happened, just from exposure at school. You must be genetically sports free (a praiseworthy thing IMHO).

 

[elektralyte]

I certainly would be different and so would my son! When I broke up with my son's father my dad asked us to move in with him. While I had to work my dad took my kid to school, to baseball games, to the park, doctor's appointments etc. My dad passed away more than four years ago, but if you asked my son who raised him, he'd still insist it was his grandpa who did.

Oh yeah, my dad was a big Trekkie too. I'm pretty sure he would have loved this movie!

 

[Islander]

I actulally never met my father and I grew up without any masculine figures until my mother met my stepfather when I was 8. I turned out just fine (I think, anyway). They only "missing" part is an interest in sports that I have replaced by more cerebral interests, like Trek!

If you were going to be interested in them it would have happened, just from exposure at school. You must be genetically sports free (a praiseworthy thing IMHO).

I'm thinking that too, thus the quotation mark. My point is that I don't think it affected me much. And I'm pretty sure it's possible for the other way around (not having your mother instead) as long as the remaining parent is loving and caring. And you could have both parent but if neither gives a shit about you then you would probably end up messed up.

I'm pretty sure Kirk mom's cared about him a lot and even told him stories of the bravery of his father, something that may have inspired him even more than a direct contact.

 

[EnsignRicky]

I guess I'd be trashing expensive cars, riding fast bikes, getting plastered, hitting on hot chicks every five minutes and participating in good old fashioned bar room brawls. I seriously doubt the visiting captain, in town for fleet week would encourage me to command one of the navy's top of the line flagship. God, I could have been Charlie Sheen.

 

[Greg Cox]

My dad introduced me to everything that matters: STAR TREK, Universal Monster movies, Tarzan, Godzilla, comic books, the Shadow . . . .

So, yeah, he basically warped my life!