Leonard Nimoy: An inspiration

(Photo from the Wiki page)

Did you know the Bank of Canada has had to ask Star Trek fans to please stop "Spocking" their $5 notes?

I was more Star Wars than Star Trek as a girl, but that didn't make me immune to loving the series all the same. Spock was a recurring reference, yes, but  the classic series was a bit before my time, so I got less of him in the shows.

But in the books...

Yes, I read the Star Trek books, or at least some of them, anyway.

One of the (many) special things about Star Trek is how it reaches across time. In fact only Doctor Who seems to ignite a longer-running fanbase, and in the US, it's Star Trek you'll geek out over with your parents and grandparents.


A book series only lasts as long as people still find it inspiring enough to keep reading new books. Star Trek is still running. And it's inspiring new inventions even now... as well as inventions we use now.

Nimoy was more than a character, but his character was a lot to a lot of people. Spock wasn't the "cool kid." Spock wasn't as calm and collected as he appeared, and his own emotions were often something he had to fight to figure out... much like many of his fans. But he was competent, and brilliant, and always in control--all the things we all wish we could be.

His character helped define Star Trek. He defined his character. Beyond the screen, he was a poet, a director, a volunteer, and more. Simply put, Leonard Nimoy was the definition of "a great man."


So here's to a man who helped inspire millions, across time and space, who became a cultural icon and who left us all a little more logical.... and yet a little more appreciative of our emotional, human side, too.