From an early age, we bonded over movies and fiction. Today, at near thirty my father and I are writing a novel together, still bonding over our common love of make believe. Dad always loved spaghetti westerns, still does much to my distain. And while I would sit through them, for his sake, I really never loved them. I often would “hear” my mother calling and would disappear for a while only to come back right at the end, catch his smiling face and know at least he enjoyed it.

Enter Star Trek. For the first time, other then our obvious mutual love for My Little Pony and Uncle Buck, we found something that we both could watch and talk about for hours. It was shortly followed up by Star Wars and Star Trek Next Generation, where I met my first ever crush (Wil Wheaton) and any and every science fiction movie my father loved.

Even when I was young I can remember thinking that Captain Kirk was a pretentious prick, although I might not have had the proper words. When I saw him at Emerald City Comic Con a couple of years ago, I ended up leaving half way through his self righteous speech. I really couldn’t stand listing to the guy. Dad of course stayed, I have to give him credit, although he agrees with me, I think he was just hoping he would get better. Leonard Nimoy was my favorite. Why wouldn’t he be? I distinctly remember thinking in my child naiveté that this man, with pointy ears was different but still in the center. I always felt like a bit of an outcast and in a lot of ways I drew lines of commonality between us. Despite the fact that Leonard Nimoy wrote an autobiography entitled I Am Not Spock, in my eyes he will always be Spock.

In 2009, when J.J. Abrams’ Star Terk came out, I was the first in line. That moment when Leonard Nimoy is on screen and the two Spocks are face to face, nothing beats it in my mind. In fact, I can give one little spoiler about my own novel, that moment is referenced in it and shall live on in my fictional world as well. I attribute heroes like Leonard Nimoy for saving me from a life filled with spaghetti westerns. Thank you for adventure, thank you for being someone to bond over with my father. May you live long in the next life and forever prosper.