Gene Roddenberry’s Capt. Jean-Luc Picard, Image of a Future Explorer

Gene Roddenberry, arguably one of the most influential minds of the science-fiction community, showed us his futurist vision through his many Star Trek stories about the star ship U.S.S. Enterprise as it journeyed through space exploring the cosmos on behalf of the United Federation of Planets. In it, he saw an Earth free of disease, poverty, crime, hunger and was ultimately a peaceful world in which all humans coexisted harmoniously with other alien species.

Although there were many series created, he is most famous for his work on Star Trek: The Next Generation , the series which redefined modern science fiction as we know it. Though he died before he could see his work completed, he left a legacy for future science-fiction writers to follow and draw inspiration from, which earned him the honor of being the first human to have his ashed buried in space. His wife, Majel Berret, who died of Leukemia in 2008, is set to join him amongst the stars in 2012.

One of Roddenberry’s most famous and enduring characters is Jean-Luc Picard, who Captained the second incarnation of the Enterprise during Star Trek: The Next Generation. Picard is a very refined character with a deep back story, focusing his abilities not only as the Captain and leader of his ship, but also a brilliant scientist, explorer and, when the situation calls for it, warrior. His one and only personal ambition was to serve the Federation by commanding a starship, any ship, for the duration of his lifetime. To him, home was his ship, family his shipmates and adventure the discovery of a new world. He was the kind of man who saw the stars as a road map. Though he made many attempts at having a relationship over the years, some of them very dedicated, his first and only love was his duty to his ship and the Federation he served.

Unlike his predecessor, Captain James T. Kirk, Picard was a much more intellectual officer and far more capable leader. He preferred to use wisdom, knowledge and cunning to conquer a problem rather than resorting to brute force and fists. He took the appropriate time to make a decision when the situation called for it, but was quick-thinking enough to solve make more immediate and difficult choices. He also never deviated from his principles no matter what the situation; he held to the moral integrity of the Federation and it’s directives no matter the cost.

I grew up on Star Trek as a kid, just like many sci-fi fans, which I readily admit to being. Yes, I’m a Trekkie, you can all laugh now; no, I don’t speak Klingon. Still, the lessons I leaned from the Picard character have gone with me throughout my life. Very few characters in TV have been as inspirational to me or to the many generations the show inspired. Through the Picard character, I learned brains over brawn, wisdom before haste, courage instead of cowardice and above all to stick to one’s principles and morals, however inconvenient they may be at the time.

” ‘With the first link, the chain is forged. The first speech censured, the first thought forbidden, the first freedom denied, chains us all irrevocably’.”
Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Drumhead. (Picard quoting Judge Aaron Santie)

Although I can safely say I am in no way dedicated in the same way as the Picard character, I can safely say that I believe in starting something and working very hard and to the best of my ability. Like him, I don’t ever plan to retire. I go crazy if my hands are idle for more than five or six hours and then I have to do something. Living life to it’s fullest is something we should all do more of, rather than siting on our hands doing nothing.

“Seize the time, Meribor. Live now; make now always the most precious time. Now will never come again.”
Star Trek: The Next Generation, The Inner Light

I’ve always felt a certain sense of reassurance from Picard. He never had a family, never had children and never really wanted either. He had relationships, some of them even dedicated, but duty always came first. Me, I shouldn’t have children because of an inheritable medical condition. It used to bother me when I was younger, but then I remembered one of Picard’s many lines of advice I heard when I was a boy:

“What we leave behind is not as important as how we have lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal.”
Star Trek: Generations

It brings me peace to know that leaving something behind is not always to the goal in life, but to live as best as I possibly can and let the chips fall where they may. And if it turns out that I leave nothing behind and there is no one to remember me, at least I can say I lived well and true to my beliefs. We can’t really control how life turns out anyway, so it’s best to decide now if the mark we leave will be good or bad now, so we don’t end up corrupting our purpose down the road somewhere.

“If we are going to be damned, let’s be damned for what we really are.”
Star Trek: The Next Generation, Encounter at Farpoint

Sources:

Star Trek: The Next Generation Episode 1: Encounter at Farpoint Episode 95: The Drumhead Episode 125: Inner Light
Star Trek: Generations Majel Roddenberry, roddenberry.com


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