Inner Light

Last Year, I mentioned the television series "Star Trek." in six of my posts. Now, I don't believe that I dedicated an entire post to any particular storyline since I know that many have no interest in that particular subject but today I would like to break with tradition. I trust that, if you are not a Star Trek fan, you will read this post anyways since there is a point to me posting this and not just a report of what I watched the other night on Television.

Last evening as I watched television, I came across an episode of Star Trek the Next generation which just so happened to be one of my favorite episodes of all the Star Trek series. The title of the episode was "Inner Light."

In this episode, Picard staggers and is rendered unconscious when the Enterprise encountered a small, unassuming probe of ancient design which seemingly poses no threat. When Picard awakens, he finds himself no longer on the Enterprise but in a small, cozy home with a strange woman. He is astounded to discover that the woman, Eline, is his wife and that he is known as Kamin, an iron weaver on the planet of Kataan. As far as Eline knows, he has always been Kamin.

Picard cannot accept that his life aboard the Enterprise has all been some kind of wild dream. But there is no escape from his situation. With the patient help of Eline and his good friend Batai, Picard comes to accept his life as Kamin. He is given the opportunity to experience things that he never would have on the Starship Enterprise... an opportunity to raise children, the experience of marriage to an adoring woman, the enjoyment of becoming a grandfather. His relationship with Eline bears fruit and he becomes the father to two children, a boy and a girl. Kamin's old existence as Picard is not forgotten but it fades into the background.

Towards the end of the episode, they reveal to Picard the purpose of him being brought to their planet. They told him that he was brought to their planet so he could learn about their culture and tell others about them as their planet ws dying. It seems that they had sent the probe out into space to make contact with someone, connect with their mind and provide a life experience in the form of a dream.

Once this was accomplished and the dream was over, Picard awoke on the Enterprise where he reall was all the time with a lifetime of experiences of the civilization on Kataan. His experience on Kataan which appeared to last a lifetime, had really only lasted twenty minutes.

What an experience! To be able to live an entire life and yet, at its conclusion, to be given a second chance to live yet another life. So often throughout our lives, we make choices that we later on regret. How often we wish that we could live some part of our life over again? Wishful thinking! Unfortunately, in real life, we never get that chance.

During Picard's life on Kataan, he learned to play a pennywhistle flute. After he awoke, he still was able to play this instrument after they found the flute inside the probe. The song that he played at the conclusion of this episode has become one of my favorite pieces of music. Below is the tune with a selection of a few of the scenes throughout the episode. Enjoy!




Since I will never be given the opportunity to experience in my life what Jean Luc Picard experienced on the planet Kataan, I will have to make sure that I live my life here on earth to the fullest and be thankful that protect the only life I have been given so that, if I am given the opportunity to reminisce before I die, I will reminisce with as few regrets as possible knowing that I lived my life to the fullest.