Like the comedian Steven Wright, when I die,
I'm leaving my body to science fiction.
I feel it's the least I can do after all science fiction has done for
me. While I couldn't get enough Harry Potter, I also enjoyed classical science
fiction and fantasy: Asimov, Clarke, Tolkien, Herbert, Dick and so many others
as a child. It's not that I have
anything against reality; I just like to visit alternate worlds in my free
time. Only now, as an adult, have I realized the lessons I learned along the
way: be loyal to your friends; never lose sight of your goals (no matter how
rough it gets); accept cultural diversity; be open to possibilities; and don't
assume that if someone spits in your hand, it's an insult. That may be a respectful greeting on a desert
planet.
As a native Floridian, I
have yet to encounter any desert-dwellers from this or any other planet, but I
know I'll be ready. Being in a culturally
diverse family myself, I enjoy the cultural mix of my hometown and am at ease
speaking with anyone. The ultimate test to my
people skills came when I went to India to visit my husband's relatives, many
of whom I'd never met before. It was the
strangest place I'd ever been and I credit my science fiction background for my
quick assimilation. From the food, to the languages, to the throngs of
strangely-garbed people, to the monkeys and elephants in the road, India opened
my eyes like no National Geographic special ever could. But I found that,
whether you are on the planet Dune, in the Shire, or in India, people
everywhere want the same things: respect, security, and the ability to provide
for their families. And most are quite welcoming to strangers.
There also came a time when
I wished I lived some place with low gravity. The day I threw out my back bending
over and couldn't get off the floor, I would've paid anything to be weightless and
pain-free.
Recently, I found myself in another
reality when I volunteered at a low-income elementary school just a few miles
away. Whereas my children had a life of comfort and ease, never missing a meal
or a dental appointment, these kids lacked the basics: decent clothing,
adequate food, and health care. They wanted the same things every kid does, but
somehow found themselves living in this alternate reality. I vowed to do what I
could to help.
And so, as much as I'd enjoy
it, I'm afraid traveling to another dimension will have to wait, because there
are people who need me right here.
