Mourning Leonard Nimoy

Upon hearing of Leonard Nimoy’s passing, I felt an immediate loss and every part of my mind went blank. I didn’t know him personally; however, his works and those who created and performed in the world of Star Trek have each played a significant role in my life.

Grief is difficult. It can come in many forms and doesn’t always occur after the death of someone. Grief can be felt after the end of something: a job, a friendship, completing a project, a TV series, etc.; it’s something I’ve experienced over the last couple months. This last week has made me think about a lot of things, mainly how I deal with the perceived end of something or someone. Logically, for me, writing about it helps my healing process.

Nimoy played a half-human, half-Vulcan character. Vulcans are known for using reason and logic without emotion interfering. I’ve always aspired to be more like a Vulcan, but it’s certainly challenging at times.

I suppose this post is my way of grieving and celebrating Nimoy’s life. I think it’s also a tribute to how he had a hand in developing Spock’s character, to Gene Roddenberry who created Star Trek, and Theodore Sturgeon who scripted the Star Trek episode, “Amok Time”, where the phrase, “Live Long and Prosper” originates from; to Dorothy Fontana who wrote Spock’s backstory, and the Star Trek franchise. But mostly to Nimoy, who lived passionately and shared his creativity with the world.

I’ve read numerous articles over the years about Nimoy’s life and career, and recently about how those who knew him, and those who didn’t, are affected by his passing. He was many good things to many people. To me, he was someone who lived long and prospered exactly as his character, Mr. Spock, promoted. His photography, in particular The Full Body Project, will continue to be inspiring-helping to break down the media and society’s preconceived notions of beauty. He also seemed to respect and care about his fans. From meeting him at Emerald City Comic Con, he emanated contentment, thankfulness, and joy. I thanked him for taking a picture with me, but there are more thanks in order:

Thank you for inspiring me to live life fully, as well as portraying and expanding a beloved character with such skill.

I remember a long time ago after an actor died, I overheard someone say that they couldn’t believe people would get so bent out of shape over someone they didn’t know. To that person and those who have a hard time understanding: Whether knowing them or not, every life matters. We never know what people are going through or what/who helps them through it, or even their connection to the deceased. Everyone grieves differently but being mean is unacceptable. End of soapbox.

There were a few people who reached out to me in the last week, asking if I was OK after they heard the news of Nimoy’s death. I want to thank these people, and you know who you are, for offering support. And thank you to my husband who made sure to grab my Nimoy mug for my coffee in the days following (and my Mom for getting me the mug).

I think Nimoy helped to make this world a better place and that’s all we can do, right?

Here are a couple pretty stellar memorials to check out:
Star Trek Online
BBC’s tribute in pictures
Greg Hatcher’s article, “Weekend at the Wake”