Four Questions for Four People

When my wife is away on business travel, I stream a lot of movies from Netflix and watch them on my Mac.  My monthly subscription allows me to pick titles I was curious about when they were released, but never carved out three hours of an evening to see them in the theater.  It also gives me the option to turn it off if it turns out to be a lousy show.

Last night, while my wife was in New York, I watch the most recent Star Trek installment.  I can’t say I’m a big fan of the post-6o’s productions, television or feature length, but it provides adequate escapism on a lonely February night in Wisconsin.

This cinematic chapter was about the random events that led to its main characters assemblage on the Enterprise.  The young twenty-somethings ran around in Star Fleet spandex, conveniently bending regulation minutia to advance the story.  So it was a surprise—though not totally, knowing a little about contractual arrangements of the original cast—when Leonard Nimoy shows up on screen, playing Mr. Spock from the future.  Okay, honestly, I lost belief in the script at this cheesy point, but his appearance got me to wonder what must it be like to have one’s public life defined by a popular fantasy?  He’s probably answered the question a thousand times already, but I wanted to ask him myself.

So, as I half-watched the rest of the movie, I asked myself whom else did I want to know something about, and what question did I have for them?  Here are my four questions, trivial as they are, asked of four people I am curious about.

1.     (You already know this one.) Leonard Nimoy – What are the deep feelings you have knowing that people will always associate you with a make-believe character from a never-ending futuristic story line made up in Hollywood?

2.     George W. Bush – Do you have any clue whatsoever how far backward you sent the United States in every conceivable way after your eight years of your folly as president?

3.     Elizabeth II, Queen of British Commonwealth – Do you feel more blessed or cursed being born into this life as queen, which you could not choose?

4.     Neil A. Armstrong, first man on the moon – At any point, did you ever think you wouldn’t make it back?


Hey, you four.  If you're reading this, let me know.