Certain people connect with people they’ve never met and impact the world for the better just being behind inherently who they are. This was Sir Patrick Stewart. Stewart, who passed away at the age of 86 this week, was a man who was a titan on the stage, the screen, and in the world around him.
For me, Patrick Stewart came onto my radar when he took on the role of Captain Picard of the USS Enterprise-D. This was the Star Trek series that was on as I was growing up. This captain of the Enterprise was very different than the first one I had been introduced to. Where Captain Kirk was a passionate leader with deep feelings who acted on instinct, Picard was measured. While he had deep feelings, he controlled them and chose to act on logic, principle, empathy, and integrity.
As I grew up and observed the man who portrayed Captain Picard. I realized there was a man who was similar to this character. Stewart wanted to make a difference in the world. He turned the pain of growing up with an abusive father into a purpose to advocate against domestic abuse. He also actively campaigned for veterans’ mental health care and PTSD support organizations.
To those who were around Stewart, he was known for his warmth, his dignity, his humor, and his artistic excellence. He brought these to his projects on the stage, the screen, and even Instagram when the world was locked down during the pandemic and eagerly awaited his next delivery of a Shakespearean sonnet.
Eventually, he did the thing many Star Trek fans could only dream of. He returned to the role of Captain Picard. This was something that was thought would never happen again after seven years in Star Trek: The Next Generation and the four movies that followed. This was a Picard who had aged since the last time he had been seen on the bridge of the Enterprise in Star Trek: Nemesis. This was a Picard who had fought the good fight and lost. This was a Picard who was perhaps more relatable than ever… yet still the same leader who had been known and loved by fans decades before. The return of this role, particularly for the third season of Star Trek: Picard, was a gift to so many fans who felt like they had never really gotten a proper goodbye to the good captain, now an admiral, and his crew so many years before.
Sir Patrick Stewart and the role of Captain Picard had a profound role in my life. While I was always a fan of Captain Kirk as a kid, I couldn’t relate to him in the same way that I could to Captain Picard. I preferred diplomacy over running into situations guns blazing. I always felt that duty and honor were (and are) important things. Most importantly, I related to the sense of purpose of making a difference. This is a thread running through Picard’s story and Stewart’s life.
This afternoon, I found myself pulled towards watching Star Trek: Generations. I remember when this movie came out. My family didn’t go to the movies very often, generally only once a year. That year, I begged for it to be this movie. The whole family ended up acquiescing (I don’t remember how obnoxious I was about it), and one evening we all made our way to see this movie together. My brother was there. My parents were there. My grandparents were there. At least one uncle was there. It was a big deal.
I remember watching my first Star Trek movie on the big screen and going on a roller coaster of ups and downs throughout the film. I knew I loved seeing the Enterprise B (surprise!) and D on the silver screen. It was incredible. I also had some heavy thoughts and feelings about some of the plot points, particularly the death of Captain Kirk and the destruction of the Enterprise D (sorry, if you haven’t seen it… spoiler from 32 years ago). I also remember being mesmerized by a line that Captain Picard said to Commander Riker at the end of the film as they stood on a destroyed bridge of the Enterprise. He said, “Someone once told me that time was a predator that stalked us all our lives. I rather believe that time is a companion who goes with us on the journey, and reminds us to cherish every moment, because they’ll never come again. What we leave behind is not as important as how we lived. After all, Number One, we’re only mortal.”
That stuck with me. I walked out of the theater thinking about this lesson. Then I remember listening to my Grandpa and Uncle talking, discussing whether the immovable object or the irresistible force would ultimately be a victor in a conflict. While I was academically intrigued by this discussion point, I was more taken by the importance of making a difference. This is something that still sits deeply with me today.
Today, millions of fans around the globe are mourning the death of Sir Patrick Stewart. I only hope that while we mourn, we also can remember to carry on the lessons of his life and that of the life of Captain Picard. I, for one, hope to make a difference (and a positive one at that) with what I do each day. After all, “what we leave behind is not as important as how we lived.“
Thank you, Patrick Stewart, for bringing Captain Picard into our world and making such an inspiring character. Thank you also for being equally as inspiring in the way you lived your life. Your memory will live on and continue to inspire at least one Star Trek fan, and hopefully many more. Thank you for what you left behind.
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