I sometimes joke that I am “the world’s oldest Trekkie.” Of course there are Star Trek fans older than me — but I am an original.

It’s 8:25 PM on Tuesday night, September 8, 1966. I’m sitting in front of the family black and white TV waiting with bated breath. This all new, all different science fiction show was about to start. I was not disappointed. An hour later I was on the phone with my best friend Len, a fellow sci-fi fan discussing this amazing show.  We were hooked. We watched every week and spent hours talking about it.  Our other high school friends didn’t get it. Our parents didn’t get it. Even the studio didn’t get it and canceled it after just two seasons.

But Star Trek refused to die.

Now, 60 years later, I read about conventions, parties, cruises and hordes of fans doing amazing cosplay.  So satifying to see that this thing that was so inspiring and fun way back then is still going strong.

Yes, I was in high school when the first show began.  So I’ve been around longer than Trek itself. I was a Trekkie long before the term existed.

It was sometime in the late 1980’s when I hosted my first Star Trek themed party.  I rented a Captain Kirk costume shirt. I programmed my Commodore 64 to make Trek sounds. And we watched “The Space Seed” and “The Wrath of Khan” on video. One friend of mine drove 60 miles to get there.

Most of the Trekkies I know now were not even born yet.

I was living in the quiet little town of University Park, Illinois, 30 miles south of Chicago. I was very active in my community, serving on village committees, writing articles for the village newspaper and producing fun educational programs on the local cable access station. In 1990, I helped start a science fiction club. We called ourselves “The Imaginaires.” It actually became a thing. We had about 8 or 10 regular members, ranging from 12 years of age to over 70.