Hi everyone! Welcome to my first blog of my three most influential/inspirational Star Trek characters! Let's face it from our childhood and growing up we all have had and still have role models, people we look up to, those we want to emulate and inspire us. Whether that be celebrities, friends or family and even complete strangers! We all have that special someone we look up to that impact our personal, professional life or both! Who was that for you...?
In my case people I consider great role models are my brother Daniel, my dad Chas and Simon. They embody certain traits from the three characters I have picked specifically from the franchise. In the sense of those I can most relate to, have helped me develop as a person and have characteristics that I admire.
So without any hocus pocus! or ta da! let's reveal who my three influential/inspiring ST characters are and why!
1. Lt. Commander Data (The Next Generation)
Yeah that robot...sorry android fellow with the yellow eyes. Like for a lot of you he became my first favourite character (and is still one of my favs) when I began exploring the final frontier. I admired him for the child-like way he looked at the galaxy and the people in it as he strives to become more human. In a sense he reminds me of me as I am now as opposed to me as a teenager, innocent and naive about the world around him. But open minded to learning and growing, as I went to university and immersed myself into different cultures and made friends from all walks of life, which Star Trek helped me to develop. Data became the gatekeeper for me in watching the franchise in being my role model, emanulating how he saw the world and going with it as I did.
Data emulates certain characteristics for my biggest role model, my father Chas who has always helped me and others. He's got a great sense of humor and is constantly making me and those he knows laugh. This brings a lot of joy into my life. My dad always puts others first before himself and is one of the most generous, selfless and friendly people you could hope to meet. He carries these very best traits of humanity, which is what the Federation embodies, which he passed onto me.
There are not enough words in the English dictionary to describe my dad who has always been there for me no matter what. Now whenever I think of Data or watch him in Star Trek, he reminds me of who I was and have become due to him and mainly my dad whom I love more than I can say. I am proud to call him my father and truly honoured to be his son.
2. Captain Kathryn Janeway (Voyager)
That's right the captain who set a course for that nebula to find coffee! (Reference to S1, EP6 The Cloud - Voyager) I see her as the leader, the one that instructs and guides those under her command to be more than they can be. I always admired her for her great leadership skills and facing challenges and never quitting throughout the seven years Voyager was in the Delta Quadrant. Janeway has a keen scientific and exploratory curiosity and always watches out for her crew and makes them realise their potential.
Janeway became my inspiration for my dissertation at university about gender in Star Trek due to how well she is represented in the series of being the first main female captain and her traits. These are the traits Simon has as Janeway most reminds me of him (sorry mate! I know how much you love her!). In helping guide me through doing our podcast, in terms of great tips and advice, but this more applies to life in general. He made me realise the unknown potential within myself by giving me direction in my life at a time where I was lost.
He helped me achieve this by encouraging me to do volunteering through chairty work with the wonderful British Heart
Foundation and acting in the Southend Shakespeare Company. This may not seem like anything special, but for me it was something, mainly the acting I had never considered. It has helped me enrich my life by expanding my horizons and Simon has been and continues to be much of a guide through my life with great advice. He is a great soundboard to bounce ideas off, particularly when we talk about Star Trek!
He has shown me I can do more and be more than I ever realised within myself and for that I'll always be thankful as he knows the true meaning of friendship. Janeway did this for her crew. For example allowing the Doctor to grow and expand his program and helping Seven of Nine reclaim her individuality and guiding her through the lessons of humanity. Both Simon and Star Trek are great guides bound in principle and enlightment and two friends I couldn't be without of. Thanks mate.
3. Lt. Commander Montgomery Scott (Original Series)
Anyway enough gushing! Now it's onto my final character of influence and inspiration, Scotty! That' scotmans from the 60s show who loves his bottle of scotch (I don't think I would ever kiss a bottle of alcohol and say "you beauty!" but then I'm not Scotty!) For anyone unfamiliar with this reference to Scotty kissing his bottle of scotch, see S2, EP 22: By Any Other Name of the Original series.
Scotty has inspired me with the traits he has, which made me think of another great role model, my brother Dan. I refer to both him and Scotty as the fixer. Scotty being the Chief Engineer of the Enterprise, I always got the impression he could fix anything with literally well anything! We'll take this wire etc, fix it with a bit of sellotape and bluetac and done! He also always overestimated the time to repair the ship, so when he does it, Kirk is always impressed he completed it "well below" his time estimation! Clever guy!
My brother Daniel has a similar ability of being very good with his hands at fixing things like broken down electrics and cars. For example he used superglue to hold down the hinges of my laptop!
I also think of Dan as a fixer in helping me with any problems I have had over the years with application forms for jobs, looking for a place to live and helping me manage my finances better. Like my dad and Simon, Dan has always been there for me whenever I needed him and helps fix things, whether equipment or me! He's the best brother anyone could ask for and I am proud to call him that and one of my best friends.
My role models and Star Trek itself over the years has and continues to give me hope for the future as I'm sure it does for you, by humans displaying kindness and compassion for each other and working together, maybe one day we can reach our full potential. In the future anything can happen!
