It’s with tremendous sadness that I must report a death, the passing of Star Trek: Starfleet Academy (SFA), along with its loyal companion and devoted muse, creativity. Both will be sorely missed, at least by anyone with a modicum of common sense and open-mindedness, who doesn’t fear change, diversity or fairness, or who doesn’t live in their parents’ basement.
It’s never easy to face difficult situations, especially when they’re impending and it seems as though they’re inevitable, circumstances in which there’s nothing we can do about them. Indeed, it’s hard enough for us as adults to process and cope with such conditions, but how are children supposed to handle these kinds of situations? Youngsters seldom possess the experience and wisdom needed to deal with their feelings.
Caring for those with special needs is certainly a noble, commendable pursuit. The patience, diligence, compassion and dedication required in attending to these individuals is often substantial, and providing the necessary care in line with those qualities is indeed laudable. But, given the commitment called for in such undertakings, one can’t help but wonder, how far should such conscientiousness extend?
When we commit to achieving a certain goal, we often believe we need to follow a particular path, doing so with unwavering fidelity. In fact, we may become convinced that it’s the only path to be pursued and that it’s the one that everyone similarly committed must follow. But is that really the case?
