The Next Generation of Nerds

This summer will be remembered as the summer we unleashed the next generation of nerds when we all started watching, “Star Trek The Next Generation,” together.

For my husband and I, this is a trip down memory lane. We’re so old and these episodes are so old that they’re new to us. I suppose we could have waited until actual senile dementia set in, then they’d be really new but generally we can’t remember the plots just the characters.

“Star Trek Next Generation,” holds up pretty well. There are some 80s hairdos even on these supposedly futuristic people and some of the acting is a bit clunky and the other day we noticed that one background was obviously painted. But the plots and the characters are still great and they beat the hell out of “Drake and Josh,” or “The Suite Life of Zack and Codey.”

Now that we have inducted them into “Star Trek The Next Generation” we will boldly go on to other cultural touchstones. We’ll force them to listen to Bob Dylan and make them watch “I Dream of Jeanie,” reruns. OK, full disclosure: William is already listening to The Rolling Stones, Green Day, and INXS. He discovered Elvis from “The Blues Brothers,” and my husband turned him on to Michael Jackson when he showed him the "Thriller" video on YouTube. So much of what they watch and listen to comes from us.

I don’t know what this will mean for their future. Will they be unable to relate to their peers? Is this the equivalent of being into Frank Sinatra and Frankie Valli in my day? Nah. Somehow I’m sure our kids will free themselves from our culture to find their own.But first we have a small window in which to brainwash – I mean educate – I mean expose them to our culture.

As for “Star Trek,” I think imagining a galaxy jumping, peaceful human race of the future has to be a good thing for our kids. It’s better than pirates, more imaginative than cowboys or cops and robbers and it makes space travel look as simple as catching a train.

Who knows? Maybe by the time my kids are parents, they’ll be laughing about “Star Trek,” as they catch the shuttle to the moon or vacation on Mars. “Star Trek” makes us believe that none of it is an impossible dream.