Today is a very interesting day, well at least for me.

It's April 25, 2006, and 30 years ago to this day, little old me popped into this world. It was nothing terribly exciting. My mom went into labor during the early evening hours of what was a relaxing Sunday. She was taken by my dad to Elk Regional Medical Center in a small town in northcentral Pennsylvania named Ridgway, and before she knew it, it was all over, and 30 years of pain would begin for her.

OK, maybe it wasn't as painful as I like to characterize it, but for those of you who have read my different rants over the years, you certainly know how much of a pain in the ass I can be.

I don't know. Birthdays, especially milestone birthdays like the big 3-0, really make you stop and think for a few minutes about how you've lived your life to this point, and what is coming next. Reflecting myself, I have to say that I am really loving life right now. I am in a relationship with someone I care about deeply. I have a great job, and living right here in Tampa, Fla., where I want to be. My friends are wonderful, including the many people I know through the Web site (yes, that means you, Mary Ann!). And, of course, I have the great people who work at Airlock Alpha, and the wonderful readers like you who stop by from time to time to see what we have to say.

At the same time, however, I do have things in my life I wish I had done differently. I wish I would've moved to Tampa as a kid instead of as an adult. I wish I would've stayed in shape instead of letting myself turn into a replica of Harry Knowles. I wish I would've actually gone to college. And I most definitely wish I had played the winning numbers last weekend in the Florida Lottery.

It would be so easy to have that nice and convenient reset button that Star Trek (and yes, I know, other shows, too) has used so much. Where the worst things can happen to both the starship and the crew, but with one snap of the fingers, everything returns to normal, and we head into the next week's adventure forgetting the first week.

I don't have a reset button in real life. I can't just reboot my life and live things differently. But you know what? Star Trek can. And not just on the screen ... in reality, also.

Airlock Alpha gets a lot of e-mail. And when I say a lot, I mean a lot. Ever since Paramount announced it was bringing in J.J. Abrams to resurrect Star Trek, it's been almost impossible to keep up with the volume of e-mail I received. But one note did stand out, and I wanted to share it with you.

"('Battlestar Galactica') was rebooted. Batman was rebooted. James Bond is about to be rebooted," said Mike Berdos. "Trek has expired under the weight of 40 years of bad movies and bad TV shows. I don't want to see a creepy 'Pet Semetary' brought-back-from-the-dead-by-unnatual-means James Kirk. I want a real live Kirk with a future and his own destiny.

"A prequel would suck. A reboot would be a great beginning."

Gutsy words to say, especially with how passionate Star Trek fans are. But these were words that really rang true with me. I mean, seriously. I loved "Batman Begins," even more than I liked the Michael Keaton version from 17 years before. It's definitely no secret that I love the new "Battlestar Galactica" practically to the point that I forget there was a 1970s series. And I have to admit that there's a small part of me a bit excited about the new James Bond.

So, I can enjoy reboots of all these classics, but I seem hesitant to accept a reboot of Star Trek? Now mind you, nothing from Abrams has indicated that we would in fact see a reboot of the franchise. But come on ... who the hell would want to write a prequel in the very complex universe that Star Trek currently exists in? Manny Coto, put your hand down.

I mean, really. Back in 1999 or 2000 (God, I can't even remember something from six years ago), I did an interview with the Trek Nation Web site where one of the questions I was asked centered around any possible desire for me to write fiction for a show like "Gene Roddenberry's Andromeda" or Star Trek. I said that I would not, mostly because I didn't want to paint on someone else's canvas. When I write, if I ever get the chance to write, I like to work my own magic without having to worry about existing in someone else's universe. It's just a pain in the ass.

I can't see Abrams wanting to do that, either. Especially with fans who watch closely to make sure every t is crossed and every i is dotted with a "Live long and prosper." Simply doing another prequel centered around Starfleet Academy would be difficult to hold anyone's attention, in my opinion. And I think Abrams knows that, and is looking at starting all over again.

And maybe it's time. It's hard for me to say that because I've been a Star Trek fan as long as I can remember. For my first Halloween in October 1976, one of my older brothers thought he was funny and put a Spock mask on my face. I had an itch on my face, and for some reason thought it would be funny to scratch the mask instead. I don't know .. I was a strange kid.

So, of course, for me to say let's take 30 years of my life (and more), and dump it in favor of the reset button ... that's a hard pill to swallow. It's even harder with the fact that I am totally in love with Erik Jendresen's concept of Tiberius Chase and the Romulan Wars. I would've really loved to see that project come to fruition, as I think Jendresen is an extremely talented writer who could really help rebuild the franchise.

But if we're not going to do Jendresen's idea, then we need to start over. I know that the Bring Back Kirk people aren't happy with the fact that someone else will portray James T. Kirk other than William Shatner. You know what, though? At least in a reboot, James Kirk is not only alive, but his whole future is a clean slate. Who knows what can be done from there ... and it should be exciting.

There are so many good stories to tell in the Star Trek universe, and they need to be told. If we stick with the status quo, those stories may be told, but no one will be around to listen. So let's do what is necessary to get those theater seats filled. I'm not for "Give me anything, as long as you give me Star Trek." I want this done right, I want this done with respect to the fans, and I want this to be the best damned movie of 2008. So there's a lot of pressure for Abrams and his crew. Let's pray that they pull through.

Michael Hinman is the news coordinator and founder of Airlock Alpha, writing out of Tampa, Fla. He can be reached at michael@airlockalpha.com.