Doctor Who is perhaps the worlds most famous science fiction and fantasy show next to Star Trek, first airing in 1963 it ran on the BBC till 1989, saw a television film produced in 1996 and a soft reboot TV series in 2005 (Though a soft reboot it still is in the continuation of the original series). The series is well known for teaching people of all ages about history, science, and ethical living, the soft-reboot in 2005 was a rating smash with that series having run 11 seasons and counting.
Doctor Who’s Phonebooth TARDIS is itself iconic, but one other item from the show is perhaps just as well known if not more so! The Sonic Screwdriver, a tool and sometimes weapon of the Doctor, the “Sonic” is a device that allows the Doctor to manipulate, control, and or get himself out of various situations (As long as it’s not wooden!). The Sonic Screwdriver was also reproduced as a toy and replica and has been insanely popular worldwide both with cosplayers and casual fans. I remember going to Comic-Con and attending the Doctor Who panel when the lights went out a sea of Sonics were raised with tips glowing, it was a very cool sight!
Being a major fan of Doctor Who I myself own 4 different Sonics, the 10th, 11th, 1st, and 12th Doctors, one thing that sets me slightly apart from other fans is something I have not confessed to many people, either friends or even other Doctor Who fans…I carry a Sonic Screwdriver with me very often, and no I am not a cosplayer. Now that may sound a bit strange to some people, but I would like to explain why I carry one, and then afterward perhaps you may want to join me in my habit.
Like many people my life has not always been an easy one, I have been to the hights of life and its lowest points, I have seen the very worst in people as well as the very best. Going through terrible events in life can really knock one down, but I have found that by experiencing the bad times it gives one cause to truly savor the good ones when they come along, my mom growing up would tell me this quote to encourage me even when we went through difficult times “This to shall pass”.
Sometimes it felt like the bad times vastly outweighed the good. However, I then discovered and found solace in Doctor Who, a story of an individual who experienced sorrow and pain frequently yet never gave up hope always saw the best in things, and did his best to make life better for those around him.
One time when going through a tough time in life, I picked up my Sonic Screwdriver and was reminded of the hope that the Doctor gave to everyone around him, that he always saw the good and believed that hope was a powerful commodity in life. I slipped it in my pocket and it reminded me that the bad never lasts and good is right around the corner, so I started carrying around my Sonic, in a coat pocket, in my backpack or briefcase.
It reminded me to always see the good around me and realize that even in the darkest of times hope shines through. Sadly my Sonic Screwdriver does not open doors or even fix my computer but it has been a comfort and taught me that we can all be “The Doctor” in our own personal lives, all we have to do is make the world around us a slightly better place.
