Circles of Life

In Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan, Captain Kirk never faced the Kobayashi Maru scenario, a simulation in which there is no way for the 'captain' to win. Part of the idea is to test the character of Starfleet officers and to teach them something about how to deal with death. Although Kirk never had any trouble sending those poor red-shirted security types off a cliff during the series...

Anyhow, Kirk's lack of experience in these matters came into play later in the movie, when Spock dies in order that the many may be saved at the expense of the one. Kirk didn't really know how to process people dying. That's sort of how I feel these days. A dear friend of my family died back in the spring of 2015. This woman raised me for the first ten or so years of my life, back when both my parents worked. Now she's gone. I only have two uncles, one died in November. Gone.

And about a month ago, another figure from my childhood passed. Jim Perry was a game show host in Canada and the United States, hosting Card Sharks and Sale of the Century. I only got to watch these programs when I was home sick from school (which was very rare), but I did see the first 5-10 minutes of Sale before I'd leave for school in the mornings.

I just remember thinking Jim Perry seemed like a nice man. But who knows how much of it is his being 'in character' for the show, and how much of it is genuine? It sure seemed like the real thing back then, and after watching some old YouTube clips, I still feel that way. Perry seemed like a really nice guy, sharing genuine happiness as contestants won money, and sincerity when he talked to contestants. The final episodes from Sharks and Sale are both glimpses into the man's character, and tell me a lot. Now he's gone too.


I spent some time looking around online to see if perhaps he'd written an autobiography or something, but I haven't seen anything yet. In his later years he wrote some about philosophy, so I spent the six bucks on a book of his that speaks about wisdom and wholeness in one's life, with the hope I could learn more about him. I'm a graduate student which means most of the reading I do is for school, so I haven't been able to dive deeply into what he's written.

But as I journey through middle age, my own lack of experience with the Kobayashi Maru is coming back around. I remember what it was like to be younger and thinking I'd live forever (who doesn't?). I haven't had to deal with death all that much, and I sort of freak out when people like Jim Perry (or even Peter Tomarken, who hosted Press Your Luck, another favorite) no longer walk among us.