I guess for many fans the show provides escapism from the real world - stressful job, the news, personal relationships and of course getting you through a bad time in your life. I know it's true not just of myself but to many other fans that I have spoken with over the years. Although I watch an episode here and there these days from various series or each of the films every few years I was once really addicted to Star Trek.
When I first watched Star Trek with my dad, back when I was six years old, it was just a passing interest in seeing the series but watched Wrath of Khan every now and then at my friends house since he had it on tape from the TV. My life was building up normally, having a good social life and lots of fun until my parents moved me away from a nice sea side town to a very isolated village - I did make friends again, but my parents marriage was failing not to mention having an older brother that was ticked off with things every time he came home.
Eventually, when I got to high school, the fertilizer really hit the fan and my parents were arguing constantly not to mention that I started to become extremely stressed out with worry about what was happening and going to happen. I know that part of the reason I was beginning to get picked on was not just the fact that I was rubbish at football but that I had no strength to fight the bullies off because of - quite frankly - exhaustion. My test results began to get worse and even took some time off school because I just couldn't take it some days.
It was not the perfect solution to my problem, but when Christmas came I got my first VCR and lots of blank tapes - well I just had to fill them up with something ! At first it was just any films that I enjoyed but as time went on I had to become picky due to not having any more spare tapes to record on. Eventually the original Trek films came on one by one and I taped them, had a lot of fun re-watching them and found that on doing so I forgot about the real world and my problems I had to face on a daily basis. My thoughts were filling up with the Trek universe and I became hooked - Star Trek TNG came on TV soon after and again I found myself taping each episode and keeping the ones I liked the most.
I did have one or two friends in the village outside of school and they never really had any idea I was a Trekker until a couple of years later. Felt like no-one else felt this way like I did and so never mentioned it to anyone but my best friend. We were both in to gaming and going bike riding occasionally - had music lessons amongst other things as well, but in our own ways we escaped from the reality we faced. Our village was so isolated we had no regular buses in or out except the morning and evening bus to the nearest city.
As time went on and I moved through school I found that as long as I watched a few episodes of my favourite show each week ( TNG ), TOS movies and some other good films my test results began to climb again and I became stronger. I found myself able to interact with people on a mature basis thanks to those Trek role models, but I came across as too serious most of the time
even though I could act real stupid when I felt like it 
- but anyway Trek was not just a crutch to rest on with my broken family but also a guiding force in to the sort of person I wanted to grow up to be.
Eventually I got all the grades I needed, and more, to make it in to college and my life got better from there. As time went by, my interest in Trek has lessened and it's just something I occasionally watch these days. It was the thing that . . . kept me going through those years. I've turned out fine because of Trek, but no doubt would've been dragged in to violence and drugs if it hadn't been for that escapism - like some of the people in my year did. The rest were just lucky to have a normal stable family and the ability to get around and do so much more than I could.
Funny thing is I found that most of the nicest people that I've met like to watch Trek and recently some of the people that were in my year at school said they watched it too - but probably not as obsessive as I did, well maybe.
To my family and friends they guessed it was just a phase I went through.
Of course there is a lot more to that rant of mine ( were talking 5 years here ! ), but to be honest I would like at least a few people to make it all the way through my rant without
:lol.
Anyone else got a story like this ?
( Edit: Split in to paragraphs :thumbsup: - I'm such a silly sod at times )
When I first watched Star Trek with my dad, back when I was six years old, it was just a passing interest in seeing the series but watched Wrath of Khan every now and then at my friends house since he had it on tape from the TV. My life was building up normally, having a good social life and lots of fun until my parents moved me away from a nice sea side town to a very isolated village - I did make friends again, but my parents marriage was failing not to mention having an older brother that was ticked off with things every time he came home.
Eventually, when I got to high school, the fertilizer really hit the fan and my parents were arguing constantly not to mention that I started to become extremely stressed out with worry about what was happening and going to happen. I know that part of the reason I was beginning to get picked on was not just the fact that I was rubbish at football but that I had no strength to fight the bullies off because of - quite frankly - exhaustion. My test results began to get worse and even took some time off school because I just couldn't take it some days.
It was not the perfect solution to my problem, but when Christmas came I got my first VCR and lots of blank tapes - well I just had to fill them up with something ! At first it was just any films that I enjoyed but as time went on I had to become picky due to not having any more spare tapes to record on. Eventually the original Trek films came on one by one and I taped them, had a lot of fun re-watching them and found that on doing so I forgot about the real world and my problems I had to face on a daily basis. My thoughts were filling up with the Trek universe and I became hooked - Star Trek TNG came on TV soon after and again I found myself taping each episode and keeping the ones I liked the most.
I did have one or two friends in the village outside of school and they never really had any idea I was a Trekker until a couple of years later. Felt like no-one else felt this way like I did and so never mentioned it to anyone but my best friend. We were both in to gaming and going bike riding occasionally - had music lessons amongst other things as well, but in our own ways we escaped from the reality we faced. Our village was so isolated we had no regular buses in or out except the morning and evening bus to the nearest city.
As time went on and I moved through school I found that as long as I watched a few episodes of my favourite show each week ( TNG ), TOS movies and some other good films my test results began to climb again and I became stronger. I found myself able to interact with people on a mature basis thanks to those Trek role models, but I came across as too serious most of the time
even though I could act real stupid when I felt like it - but anyway Trek was not just a crutch to rest on with my broken family but also a guiding force in to the sort of person I wanted to grow up to be.Eventually I got all the grades I needed, and more, to make it in to college and my life got better from there. As time went by, my interest in Trek has lessened and it's just something I occasionally watch these days. It was the thing that . . . kept me going through those years. I've turned out fine because of Trek, but no doubt would've been dragged in to violence and drugs if it hadn't been for that escapism - like some of the people in my year did. The rest were just lucky to have a normal stable family and the ability to get around and do so much more than I could.
Funny thing is I found that most of the nicest people that I've met like to watch Trek and recently some of the people that were in my year at school said they watched it too - but probably not as obsessive as I did, well maybe
. To my family and friends they guessed it was just a phase I went through.
Of course there is a lot more to that rant of mine ( were talking 5 years here ! ), but to be honest I would like at least a few people to make it all the way through my rant without
:lol.Anyone else got a story like this ?
( Edit: Split in to paragraphs :thumbsup: - I'm such a silly sod at times
)
.
.
- just to be clear, I mean people who take the piss out of Trek fans.
