CHICAGO -- William Shatner is … William Shatner. All he has to do to offer an entertaining time is show up and be himself. And that’s exactly what he did as the closing speaker at the 2017 NACS Show in Chicago last Friday.
The actor, writer, singer (yes, singer), Golden Globe and Emmy winner, pitchman and philanthropist was in full raconteur mode as he spoke to an auditorium packed with people who, for a little while, weren’t convenience-store retailers or suppliers but fans of "Star Trek," "Rescue 911," "T.J. Hooker," "Boston Legal" and even the Priceline commercials. The only thing missing from this would-be sci-fi convention were the costumes. (They made me check my phaser at the door and change back into my editor’s clothes before they would let me in.)
The 86-year-old man who shall always be Capt. James Tiberius Kirk strolled onto the stage dressed in a long, well-worn leather coat, jeans and sneakers and clutching a stack of notes.
“I’m the reason you stayed so long. I hope I’m worthy,” he began. “I know you’re worthy, because of everything I’ve read and seen and heard in the last weeks having to do with the hurricanes and the floods and what the convenience stores did during that time. ‘Wow, I’m going to speak in front of those people who did all that good work.’ You raised $15 million to contribute to the Red Cross. The stories of what the convenience stores have done in times of emergency is really inspiring. I really had no idea.”
He then launched into “Shatner’s Rules,” a loosely numbered body of advice and life lessons that formed the basis of his 2012 book of the same name. “There are certain rules that I’m going to tell you about that apply to you and your stores,” he said. Defying his allotted half-hour, he took attendees on an hourlong, anecdote-laden journey through a life that has been equal parts silly and profound.
Perhaps the most relevant rule was No. 1, which is “Say yes.”
“I almost always say yes,” he said. “'Yes' means opportunity. 'Yes' makes the dots in your life appear, and if you’re willing to be open and you connect those dots, you don’t know where they’re going to lead. If you don’t invest yourself fully, the dots won’t connect. The lines you make with those dots always lead to interesting places. 'No' closes doors. 'Yes' kicks them wide open.”
Shatner said yes to Decca Records in 1968 when the label approached him about doing an album, "The Transformed Man." “It earned many a ‘no’ from critics, but that album has led to so many wonderful things in my life,” he said. He wanted to say no to "Boston Legal." "Yes" earned him two Emmys.
(Unfortunately, no spontaneous rendition of his infamous version of Elton John’s "Rocket Man" was forthcoming.)
Another rule is “Get the damn line right.” What followed was a tongue-in-cheek (or was it?) tirade against the “Beam me up, Scotty” catchphrase, a line that was never uttered on "Star Trek" during its entire TV or movie run. To those who would shout it at Shatner today, be prepared for the response: “Beam me up yours!”
The real message of this rule was to take pride in your work. Shatner also shared an experience he had working with Shakespearean-trained actor Patrick Stewart on the film "Star Trek: Generations." Stewart took his role very seriously, Shatner said. It was a “paradigm shift” for Shatner, who over the years “had gotten in on the joke” about mocking "Star Trek." “For Patrick Stewart, it was no joke,” Shatner said. “He said yes to being in 'Star Trek.' I realized that he approached his performance with the same respect and reverence that he reserved for the Bard. I thought, 'I haven’t done that in a long time.' There was a fullness in his pride in playing that role and doing it well. I wanted that pride back. And I took it back. I am proud of my work as Capt. Kirk.”
Like the c-store industry, Shatner can also be proud of his charity work. For more than 20 years, he has organized the Hollywood Charity Horse Show. But the organization is really about hippotherapy, which is a method of treating people with mental and physical disabilities, as well as returning veterans, with sensory effects provided by interacting with horses.
“It involves introducing handicapped children to the wonders of the animal,” said Shatner, “wonders that elicit emotional responses from kids who don’t respond to traditional therapy. You wouldn’t believe the transformation that takes place when some of these kids are placed atop an animal. Horses certainly bring out the best in people, and they certainly bring out the best in me.”
Shatner said that in the zen of horseback riding, where horse and rider become one, he has found the “spiritual epiphany that he has yearned for.” After seeking it for many years, he realized that “there exists nowhere on earth a soulful place, but that anywhere you are is the soulful place. The entire world is filled with mystical qualities, including my little slice of the world, with its horses, its dogs and its loved ones. It’s always within our reach. The thing horses have taught me is to stay in the present.
"A horse is continually mindful,” he said. “What a lesson. What a rule for your stores, your employees, your customers. Be aware of yourself and your environment.”
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