Posted in Autism, Movies, Music, Televison, Uncategorized

Spock, you made it cool to be different

Posted on by D. Parker

1spock7My own little teen Spock has been ill with a cold for the last few days.
Then the news today, Spock/Leonard Nimoy (most famous for Star Trek, but also a fascinating director/writer/photographer/singer, etc.) has passed away. It’s illogical to be so sad at the passing of an actor, but as a Trekker, Nimoy was in my life since I was very young.

Spock was also an early example of a character with qualities of Asperger’s Syndrome on TV. Asperger’s didn’t even have a name when Nimoy started playing Spock, but he showed that being different was cool.

I hope Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future, where there will be less or no distinction between differences, comes true someday.

1spock8
I think the biggest tragedy of our time is that people still have so many prejudices, especially about things they don’t understand.
They don’t know what they’re missing.

Most of us have known someone with:
Stroke, migraines, CP, ALS, MS, Parkinson’s Disease,
Alzheimer’s, Tetanus, Pinched nerve, meningitis,
Huntington’s Disease, Migraines, Epilepsy, Polio,
or some other neurological disorder.
Imagine telling someone who’d suffered a stroke to just talk properly?
Don’t think so.
Telling someone with ALS to stop being so lazy? 1spock2
No way.
Suggesting to someone with Alzheimer’s they could remember if they just tried harder.
Doubtful.
Or someone with Parkinson’s to stop shaking, that they were just trying to get attention?
Improbable.
Yet people with Autism are constantly told to:
grow up, smarten up, man up, stop being so lazy.
People scoff, blame, bully, abuse, mock, make jokes, call names, etc.
Autism is a neurological condition just like any other.
They have as much control over how their brain works as any other neurological disorder.

If we could all just accept each other, we’d see the amazing.

And I see my teen Spock is awake again…

Goodbye Mr. Nimoy, you came into our hearts through our TVs; you made it cool to be different.

“That is the exploration that awaits you! Not mapping stars and studying nebula, but charting the unknown possibilities of existence.” ~Leonard NimoyStar Trek: The Original Series

LLAP

Author:

Very me

46 thoughts on “Spock, you made it cool to be different”

    1. Cool. He was very gentlemanly when I met him (a couple times, very, very, very briefly) and taller than I thought. Same great voice. 😉
      Hope this day is being kind to you. Hope to see you tomorrow on #ArchiveDay and Sunday for #SundayBlogShare 🙂

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    1. I assume the writers are busy working on a storyline for Sheldon right now – I wonder if the restraining order works for the funeral? Poor Sheldon.
      He’s in our hearts. 🙂

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  7. I wish I could have met him. My dad and I used to watch Star Trek reruns and Spock was always the type of person I wanted to be when I grew up: smart, loyal, capable, and drily funny without trying. I figured if you could be those things, the rest would fall into place. It sounds like he was like his character in real life.

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    1. My Dad was a big Star Trek fan and my older brother so we watched it a lot.
      You’re right, the rest would fall into place, good thought process, Allie. 🙂
      Have a great evening and hope to see you on Twitter tomorrow for #ArchiveDay and Sunday for #SundayBlogShare 🙂

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  13. I am a huge Trekkie/Trekker, and have always been proud of it. The first Star Trek on TV debuted on my second birthday (a fact I found out in my 30’s after being a Trekkie for 20 years)!

    Roddenberry’s vision of showing humans being BETTER than they are today is huge. Leonard Nimoy played a large part in it, with his character’s passive nerve pinch and mellow, wise logic.

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  18. I cried when Leonard Nimoy died…I was never exactly a Trekkie, but I appreciated so much the ideas that Spock represented, and Mr. Nimoy’s fantastic portrayal of them. We completely need more people in this world that say, “I don’t care that you’re not ‘normal’…that’s awesome.” Thank you, Spock, indeed.

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