I mourn thee Mr. Nimoy.
Once again, we measure our own time in this life relative to those who we respect and idolize and how the latter inevitably leave us in our and their mortality.
Star Trek means a great deal to me. I love and continue to love Star Wars. The Trilogy is my childhood love that I grew to appreciate more as an adult. Star Trek is a childhood crush that developed into a more mature love. Both will be with me forever.
Trek has also guided me through those moments where childhood innocence was lost. I quoted Mr. Spock and his plain statement of fact and loyalty when I have the eulogy at my "brother's" funeral. I watched the original Star Wars Trilogy in a marathon session the night before my father's funeral. I was in my early twenties for my first major loss; I was in my thirties for my second major loss. Trek and Star Wars were appropriate comforts for each moment in my life.
Leonard Nimoy, the "mulatto", "half-breed", human-Vulcan second in command on classic Star Trek is one of the greatest and most iconic TV (and film) characters of all time. It was perfect that Leonard Nimoy a Jewish-American brother would play Mr. Spock a half-human half-Vulcan character on Star Trek.
In all, Mr. Spock and Leonard Nimoy are Titans of global popular culture.
For those of us born on the other side of the colorline--in the chocolate part of town--Spock's wisdom and the Vulcan way affirmed something we always knew about our contributions to America's "mulatto" culture. Black American culture is American culture. We have given many gifts to America--most of them unacknowledged and not returned in kind. Moreover, America's diversity is her greatest strength. Our forward thinking white brothers and sisters know this to be true. Other enlightened people of color know this to be true. Our gay and lesbian and transgendered brothers and sisters know this to be true as well.
When the appropriate moment avails itself, I instinctively greet people with Mr. Spock's iconic hand gesture, pinky and fourth finger together, index and middle finger together, both separated in a "V", and the thumb also extended. We say "live long and prosper" while making this gesture.
There is a deeper meaning that those outside of Star Trek fandom may not be aware of.
Spock's gesture is an embodiment of the Vulcan belief in logic and what is known as IDIC--"infinite diversity in infinite combinations".
Spock elaborated on the philosophy of IDIC in more detail during the classic Trek episode "Is There in Truth, No Beauty?"
The triangle and the circle... ...different shapes, materials, textures...represent any two diverse things which come together to create here...truth or beauty.
In its own way, this is a motto that has united all of us who fight and struggle for a humane and cosmopolitan world. I would also like to believe that
Brother Dr. King is connected to Brother Leonard Nimoy through that common vein of belief and energy.
I never had the good fortune to meet Leonard Nimoy at a convention or other gathering. I wish that I had done so. He is a friend that I never met, but felt that I knew, as Mr. Spock and IDIC were shining beacons and guides for those of us who walk the colorline while trying to make sense of it.
IDIC is also a guidepost for those folks who because of some arbitrary and random ascriptive trait identity trait feel like perpetual outsiders as the Other in a world and society that can often be so very cruel to them and us.
Unfortunately, those who are intolerant, racist, bigoted, prejudiced, white supremacist, homophobic or xenophobic have not surrendered to the logic of IDIC. They are lost souls.
Goodbye Mr. Leonard Nimoy, you have been and always shall be my and our friend. You are irreplaceable.