It has come to my attention that today is Leonard Nimoy’s 79th birthday. His Star Trek co-star and off-screen friend William Shatner turned 79 only a few days ago, on Monday. Strange to think that they’re so close to the same age, and even stranger to think of how advanced that age is getting to be.

This is a morbid notion, but I find myself wondering how long one will outlast the other when time inevitably catches up to them. They’ve spent so much of their lives seemingly in parallel. When one of them finally passes away, will the survivor go on for years more, or will they be like a long-married couple who die within days of one another, unable to continue without their beloved?

But that of course is in the future — hopefully, the distant future. For now, tonight, let us celebrate the friendship and longevity of two men who, 45 years ago, accepted what must’ve seemed like nothing more than a fun little acting job that might last a couple seasons, and ended up becoming icons and heroes to millions. Cheers, guys, and many happy returns!