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This is so powerful. Take the time to read his words… 
Gene Rodenberry produced a precursor to Start Trek with the same basic story line and diverse characters as Star Trek, but it took place on Earth. When he switched the storyline up to a space/sci-fi program, it was more acceptable by the public. Then, follow that through to now when after 50 years, William Shatner got to visit “outer space” for real. This is his surprising response:
Gene Rodenberry produced a precursor to Start Trek with the same basic story line and diverse characters as Star Trek, but it took place on Earth. When he switched the storyline up to a space/sci-fi program, it was more acceptable by the public. Then, follow that through to now when after 50 years, William Shatner got to visit “outer space” for real. This is his surprising response:“Last year, I had a life-changing experience at 90 years old. I went to space, after decades of playing an iconic science-fiction character who was exploring the universe. I thought I would experience a deep connection with the immensity around us, a deep call for endless exploration.
“I was absolutely wrong. The strongest feeling, that dominated everything else by far, was the deepest grief that I had ever experienced.
“I understood, in the clearest possible way, that we were living on a tiny oasis of life, surrounded by an immensity of death. I didn’t see infinite possibilities of worlds to explore, of adventures to have, or living creatures to connect with. I saw the deepest darkness I could have ever imagined, contrasting so starkly with the welcoming warmth of our nurturing home planet.
“This was an immensely powerful awakening for me. It filled me with sadness. I realized that we had spent decades, if not centuries, being obsessed with looking away, with looking outside. I did my share in popularizing the idea that space was the final frontier. But I had to get to space to understand that Earth is and will stay our only home. And that we have been ravaging it, relentlessly, making it uninhabitable.”
— William Shatner, actor
