In some of the darkest moments of the pandemic, when there was very little comfort to be found, Patrick Stewart read us Shakespeare sonnets for many evenings. I loved listening to his beautiful voice, measured tone, and emotional inflections. I would get lost in the words and find my breath again. I would think about the beauty of the world and take a small break from the horror of it. I loved that he shared his love of rescue dogs and fostering. I felt a kinship with his philosophy on the beauty of having dogs as companions. It’s rare you have the opportunity to shift with a celebrity who is an icon in one role in your life and then rediscover them in a new way, later down the road.
Watching Star Trek: The Next Generation was a family event in our house. I think many of my values and how I approach my life are based on the lessons from STNG. Captain Picard showed the value of approaching situations as a team. Everyone has unique gifts and expertise, and by listening to different perspectives, we are stronger and more effective. My ex-husband always complained about the structure of the bridge of the Enterprise on STNG, saying it was a “comfy couch,” with three equal seats in the middle and how silly that was. But I learned that while the Captain bears the greatest responsibility, he’s nothing without the team behind him. And he put a COUNSELOR on the bridge, which was revolutionary for the 90s. Excessive hierarchy can get in the way of good teamwork. STNG is also where I learned a lot about diplomacy and the value of listening to and learning from other cultures. The assumptions we make about other people are often wrong. Other beings have just as much right to their own beliefs and customs as we do to ours, and things that may seem odd or wrong in our eyes make perfect sense in their context. Captain Picard was a model of gentle masculinity and fighting the good fights. When he was wrong, he could admit it and do what was necessary to correct his actions. There were not many male role models capable of that at the time. I’m in many conference rooms in my work, and I often picture those STNG moments where Picard would gather the senior officers to debate and discuss strategy, listening carefully to everyone’s opinions (well, maybe not Worf’s) and working to find consensus. It does not get more public health than that.
In a year of great loss, this one hits hard.
“Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives, but I’d rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey, reminds us to cherish every moment, because they’ll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal.”- Captain Jean-Luc Picard.
Oh Captain, my Captain.
