Guess Who I Saw

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Murphy Henry

Murphy Henry

So, for Christmas Casey gave me the DVD boxed set of Star Trek: The Next Generation, the first season. I was a HUGE fan of the original Star Trek and had an enormous crush on Mr. Spock. (I think he reminded me of my father—tall, thin, black hair, silent. Daddy didn’t have the pointed ears, tho.)

I never really got into The Next Generation, tho, so all these episodes are brand spanking new to me.

So the other night I’m sitting there, watching an episode entitled “Where No One Has Gone Before.” (And don’t get me started on how much I like that phrase so much more than the original Star Trek wording “to boldly go where no man has gone before.” [Hi, Cap!])
I can’t possibly describe what the episode is about other than to say that the crew on the Enterprise start seeing things that are not there. (Captain Picard sees his mother serving tea.)

Anyhow, I’m just watching along and all of a sudden there is a string quartet playing, with the seated (male) players all wearing white wigs and 17th or 18th century knee-britches with white stockings. But, wait, there is one who is not dressed like this, who has short, reddish-blonde hair and a very familiar looking face. As the camera moves in closer and his whole I’m-so-happy-to-be fiddling-face fills the screen I realize, it’s Byron Berline! The great bluegrass fiddler! The man who recorded “Gold Rush” and “Sally Goodwin” with Bill Monroe! The guy who played with the original version of the Country Gazette! The fiddler who recorded that great fiddle album with the Dillards. Byron Berline on Star Trek! Byron Berline wearing one of those one-piece clingy Enterprise uniforms. He’s a member of the crew! After the string quartet vanishes, he’s on screen by himself, looking a little sheepish, because of course he imagined it all. (Too bad he couldn’t have conjured up Bill Monroe and the Blue Grass Boys!)

I am freaking out. I call Casey to tell her about it. Of course, I get her voice mail because she is at Hot Yoga. Later, she calls me back and I tell her I saw Byron Berline on Star Trek. She is appropriately enthusiastic. Which makes me happy. I thank her again for the DVDs.

So, just one of life’s little fun things that I thought I’d share! Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to go watch more Star Trek!

3 thoughts on “Guess Who I Saw”

  1. Myrna

    wow. I always thought Mr. Berline’s wonderful fiddling was so good he was from another world….the cat(gut) is out of the bag….:)

  3. Cap Spence

    Murphy, I am honored to be recognized, especially here on The Blog, for some of my observations. Although you may not realize it, I am not an anti-feminist, nor anti-anything else patently female, rather I continue to watch, with awe, your (and Casey’s) continued mission to remove gender specificity from almost everything with which you come in contact. I admire you (and Casey) for your tenacity in such a worthy campaign.

    I LOVE you, Murphy, (Oops, I almost put “Murph”, but I remember how much you dislike that.) like a fat kid loves cake. (Can I say “fat kid”? Is that OK, or not? If not, sorry.) Miss you, Red, C and C.

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