Alex Tang
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Medical Students /Paediatric notes
Reflections on 40 years of Star Trek (1966-2006)
Dr Alex Tang
Ode to Star Trek
Star Trek 40th Anniversary Tribute
For the past 40 years, the Star Trek universe is my alternate universe. I entered it when I was barely in my teens. It fueled my sense of wonder, adventure and love of science. As I grew into adolescence and young adulthood, it taught me love, loyalty to my friends, duty, responsibility and faithfulness. It also taught me not to put all my senior officers in one space shuttle. Another lesson is that the emotive captain gets the girls, the logical Vulcan gets to play with his computer and that the doctor is a doctor and not a mechanic.
It taught me certain values that are deeper than life and that sometimes deep and painful sacrifices have to be made for what you believe in. I watched the television series and movies, collected and read the comics and novels, got involved with fan clubs and made plastic models of the various incarnation of the USS Enterprise 1701.
In the meantime, I got married to a beautiful girl and have two wonderful daughters. I became established in my medical career and my spiritual ministries. Star Trek was there for me in the dark, painful and lonely moments of my life. It taught me patience and forgiveness. It taught me that there is always hope. The future is bright and clean. The spaceship is always brightly lit and neat, not like those dirty machines in Star Wars.
It taught me team work and how to develop relationships with other people. It also taught me balding is not too bad a thing. Star Trek taught me honor and reputation is more important than immediate gratification. It taught me that hanging around a space station is as much fun as gallivanting around deep space. It gave me hope that a lost spaceship can find her way home.
Yes, Star Trek is my home away from home. It has taught me to boldly go where no man has gone before. To be more than I can be. Soli Deo Gloria.
|posted 6 November 2006|
