Corona-Consuming & Captain Kirk
All my childhood heroes were on a black & white TV in my room.
The greatest of all?
James Tiberius Kirk, Captain of the Starship Enterprise. Watching him taught me many things about how to be a man…and a few were actually helpful. It’s amazing that, even this week, I’ve learned something from him about how to cope in these times of Corona.
Why was Kirk so awesome?
He was bold, cocky, kissed beautiful women, had an awesome judo chop. He was a fantastic actor (at least from a 10-year-old’s perspective). And, he was creative. He found solutions in dire situations. He is the first person to find a way to beat the no-win scenario of the Kobayashi Maru (as I’m sure you already know…right?)
Right?
Hello?
Wait—come back! Keep reading…even if you aren’t a Trekkie.
Fact is, Kirk always seemed to find a way out of dark places. Like we’re in now.
Last night, I watched Star Trek Generations
I remembered it having one of the most disappointing endings I ever saw. And I was right. It’s right up there with end of Game of Thrones and the 2010 Super Bowl. (I’ll never get over that Super Bowl. For the love of all that is holy, why didn’t Ben throw it to Hines?! Gah!)
Anyway. Back to the movie. I watched Kirk die, and, yes, I was still angry at the way he went out. As the credits rolled, I paused for a moment. And then, came the question we all hate/love after watching something…
“What to watch next?”
I switched over to Netflix...and was assaulted with thousands of options. Thousands of ways to spend my time.
Or, as Kirk would say, "So.Many.Options!”
Corona is testing my self discipline.
So how should I spend my time? Watch something else? You might be struggling here as well. I have a name for it. I’m calling it “Corona Consuming.” (Maybe Coronasuming…? Hm. I’m trademarking it!)
Coronasuming: Filling my empty quarantine time watching more & more stuff.
How about you? On the one hand, I don’t have a lot to do. My work contracts have either been postponed or canceled. I’m grateful I’m not sick…but, can I spend my bonus time better than mindless Netflix, amazon, Hulu, AppleTV, Disney+…? Because all of it is watching other peoples’ stories. Not terrible, but…is there something more productive?
Hey! What would Captain Kirk do?
Good ol’ James T. In this conundrum of extra time and how to spend it, I realized, he would find another way.
Just like in the no-win scenario of the Kobayashi Maru.
(I bet you were thinking the same thing…right?)
Right?
Wait! Come back!
Still here? Good. Look: there’s absolutely nothing wrong with consuming content, especially in these trying times. But I don’t want to only watch someone else’s stories. I want to add something of my own. I want to be a creator, too.
There’s power in being a creator. You are in control of something…shaping something. You can focus your attention and your talents into positivity. That’s why I’m writing a weekly blog. I hope to create something Good; something that will help other people live a little bit better. And remember that I have some power in these challenging times: the power to create.
What about you?
How can you tap into your power as a creator? What Good are you creating in this dark time we live in? See below for an idea or two.
Too.Much.Time!
Who would have thought? For once in our lives, we have more time than we know what to do with. I want to use it wisely. My mission is to not only consume content, but to boldly go and create some of my own. Thanks, Captain for the reminder: consuming is fine, but creating is better. It was good to see you. You’ve inspired me, once again.
Now to work on my judo chop…
Here’s something I’m doing that you can create for yourself right now.
Telling the story your Life
Try creating a timeline of your life. I started this last week, and I’m really enjoying it.
Begin by sketching the places you’ve lived, and the approximate years.
Then group those together into “chapters” of life: childhood, teenager, etc. (I created an Excel table, because I’m a geek like that, but paper and pen is fine.)
Next, I’ll be adding milestones; critical dates and happenings that have made me who I am.
Then, I plan to add a sentence next to each, stating what I learned or why it was important.
My Life Timeline, Phase 1: dividing my days and years into Chapters. In Excel.
Before you move on to the next episode of a series…why not create your own life’s chapters? Give the timeline a try. I’m finding it fun—and powerful. It feels good to “put my life together.”
And of course, don’t forget acts of love; email or text others who have influenced you. Spread encouragement…and kill fear.