Tommia's Tablet

“I believe Native Americans, women, and all of us deserve representation, and that we all need to fight with everything we have to make it so.” ~ Deb Haaland

“If animals could speak, the dog would be a blundering outspoken fellow; but the cat would have the rare grace of never saying a word too much.” ~ Mark Twain

“Baseball is more than a game. It’s like life played out on a field.” ~ Musician, Juliana Hatfield

“If you read a lot of books, you’re considered well-read. But if you watch a lot of TV, you’re not considered well-viewed.” ~ Lily Tomlin

What are some of your favorite stories to escape into?

“Nothing is softer or more flexible than water, yet nothing can resist it.” ~ Lao Tzu

“It was my 16th birthday – my mom and dad gave me my Goya classical guitar that day. I sat down, wrote this song, and I just knew that that was the only thing I could ever really do – write songs and sing them to people.” ~ Stevie Nicks

What is your favorite instrument to listen to?

“I was very blessed in always knowing what I wanted to do, and by the grace of God I’ve been able to succeed in my chosen career.” ~ Nichelle Nichols

My best friend and I had recently discovered sci-fi conventions, specifically Star Trek conventions. We drove to one of the cities north of Seattle and had the fortune of finding a seat for Nichelle Nichols’ panel. I brought my copy of her autobiography with me to a) have something to read when standing in line, b) maybe let my friend borrow it in exchange for her book, and c) foolishly see if I could get it signed.

I didn’t expect to be one of the first in line for the latter, where rows of Klingon-dressed security kept reminding everyone: “No personalization, no conversation. Keep moving.”

In a soft voice, almost whispering, I thanked her for being my role model, and then she asked for my name. I froze as my friend told her.

Two of the Klingon security from either side stepped towards me as Nichelle kept talking to me, personalizing my book, and thanked me for being there.

I’ve fond memories of watching reruns of the original series with my favorite uncle. He’d lean over and whisper, “She went to the stars; you can, too.”

Thank you, Nichelle.