I was never much of a Star Trek fan growing up. I watched some of the movies here and there but never dug too deep into the beloved science fiction franchise. Star Wars was my thing, and I dug deep into George Lucas’ baby. It was all so different, and I loved all of it. Conversely, Star Trek was closer to home, and I struggled to understand why that was a good thing.
Recently I started watching Enterprise, and all the familiar Star Trek trappings were present. Alien worlds, starships, phasers, and the like. Somewhere during season 2 something clicked in me as to why I was slowing becoming more enamored with the Trek universe. It’s home, it is us, with some fantastic elements tossed in for sure, but it is our world with a few extra ingredients.
I don’t watch Star Trek to boldly go where no one has gone before. I watch to see an alien character wear a baseball hat, to know that though she may be an alien on the show she is but an extension of my world in some way. It’s comforting and welcoming to think that our species could be doing some iteration of these adventures in the future. The unknown is great, the unknown is fun, but home is where the heart is.
I keep turning on my Roku player for the fantastic adventures. They are grand, they take me to places that boggle my mind. Yet there’s always a reminder that these could be real people, in a real future. Set phasers to stun then go to the holodeck to watch a ball game. Home is never too far from any of the characters, no matter how alien they may be on the outside.
My home is baseball, and when I see a character in Gene Roddenberry’s creation wearing a baseball hat or swinging a baseball bat I am reminded of the comfort and warmth of the game I love. We all need that reminder from time to time. Home is what matters, no matter what universe we may be in at the time.
Lead photo courtesy of Paramount Domestic Television
