Shatner's World

While I’ve yammered on incessantly about my various passions on this blog, you no doubt have picked up that I love Star Trek. The classic 1960’s version of Star Trek that was rerun all through the seventies and carved into our childhood in that way that’s just permanent right down to your toes. And while my true love will always be for the character of Captain Kirk, I have more than a little reverence and respect for William Shatner.

We’re even Facebook friends. Sort of… I subscribe to his page. And that’s how I learned about his one man show.

The realization was sort of a smack in the face. I quivered. Lorie was on the couch next to me. “What’s up?” she asked, barely looking up from the Sims game on her iPad mini.

“William Shatner has a one man show. He’s touring America.” I replied.

“Huh.” She didn’t even bother to look up.

A quick Google search and I found that the show is called “Shatner’s World and We Just Live in it”. I found a couple of reviews and they were less than stellar, but that didn’t deter me. The seed had started to grow in my head. I don’t really go to concerts or shows anymore. Can’t even remember the last one I went to. But this… this was different. This was William Shatner; he who played such a huge role in my childhood.

I found the official website for the show. They had clips! I sat their clutching my iPad and played a few of the clips. Giggling and smiling like a small child.

Lorie glanced at me with a frown of concern.

I searched the website for the tour schedule. They only had dates through January and mostly shows in the West and in Texas. The closest he was coming was Atlanta, Georgia.

I spoke this out loud and got a non-committal grunt from my wife. Although a surreptitious glance at her face would tell me that she was becoming VERY concerned.

“It’s this weekend.” I spoke through my stupid smile. “He’ll be in Atlanta, GA on January 13th. This weekend.”

Lorie’s fingers were slowing down as they touched across her new iPad mini. The frown was a full-on facial crease at this point. I knew that she was thinking to herself “Please don’t make me see William Shatner live and in concert.” But she would never say that out loud to me at such an early stage in the ‘dance’.

“I can get two tickets for $135.” I didn’t look up. But I saw Lorie’s head-swivel in my peripheral vision.

I pulled up the maps on the iPad and asked it for directions to Atlanta, GA from my current location. It mapped out three possible routes, suggested the most direct, and estimated the drive to be a little over ten hours.

“Can we drive ten hours to Atlanta, Georgia to see William Shatner in his one-man show for $135 this weekend?” I wasn’t fully serious. At this point, I just wanted to see how she would react.

Lorie’s voice was a little shaky and cracked as she answered. “We really have to get some work done on the addition this weekend, baby.”

She wasn’t saying ‘no’, of course. That’s not how our relationship works. But I had already made up my mind that there was no way I was gonna go to Atlanta this weekend. It’s just too much. And too soon after the money-hog that is Christmas. So I acted disappointed and dropped the issue.

And then I made an iPhone reminder to check the website for any new tour dates and locations in late January.

Thanks,
DCD