Legacy?
How do you want to be remembered?
I was thinking about that question the other day. Whenever someone dies, or even just moves away for good, everyone remembers them a certain way. I'm not even talking about major life events or character definitions, or the pat Miss America answers about world peace; I mean just the stuff they did in their everyday life. Phrases like, "He always did this," or, "She always did that." Besides always, you hear words like all the time and usually, as well as never and rarely. In reality, those people probably deviated from those things we slap on the end of the sentence, but we choose to remember their habitual practices.
The funny part of that whole thing, is that we usually don't share that information with the people when they're still with us. Even though it's what draws (or repels) us from that individual, we usually think it's just our own thoughts or opinions. That is, until they're gone. Then we get together to reminisce and share, and find out our feelings were the same as the ones everyone else had. (On a side note, that's why I feel we should have funerals for people while they're still alive; so they can hear all the nice things people have to say about them and actually be able to appreciate those things. But that's a topic for another time.)
Here's a list of some of things I'd want people to say about me.
-Sam was out in his garden every spare minute he had.
-Sam and Ell threw a great party.
-He always had a rubber band on his wrist.
-Sam was a good driver.
-He never brought work home.
-Sam was a great friend.
I'm sure there's more, but those are the first things I thought of. Nothing major or earth-shattering. But they're important to me.
So the question of the day is...... If you could live a life that would cause people to remember you a certain way, what would be the things you'd want people to say about you?
I was thinking about that question the other day. Whenever someone dies, or even just moves away for good, everyone remembers them a certain way. I'm not even talking about major life events or character definitions, or the pat Miss America answers about world peace; I mean just the stuff they did in their everyday life. Phrases like, "He always did this," or, "She always did that." Besides always, you hear words like all the time and usually, as well as never and rarely. In reality, those people probably deviated from those things we slap on the end of the sentence, but we choose to remember their habitual practices.
The funny part of that whole thing, is that we usually don't share that information with the people when they're still with us. Even though it's what draws (or repels) us from that individual, we usually think it's just our own thoughts or opinions. That is, until they're gone. Then we get together to reminisce and share, and find out our feelings were the same as the ones everyone else had. (On a side note, that's why I feel we should have funerals for people while they're still alive; so they can hear all the nice things people have to say about them and actually be able to appreciate those things. But that's a topic for another time.)
Here's a list of some of things I'd want people to say about me.
-Sam was out in his garden every spare minute he had.
-Sam and Ell threw a great party.
-He always had a rubber band on his wrist.
-Sam was a good driver.
-He never brought work home.
-Sam was a great friend.
I'm sure there's more, but those are the first things I thought of. Nothing major or earth-shattering. But they're important to me.
So the question of the day is...... If you could live a life that would cause people to remember you a certain way, what would be the things you'd want people to say about you?
posted by Sam at 9:08 AM
5 Comments:
Um are you a mind reader? I've wanted t o blog an entire entry on this b/c I've been thinkin of it for awhile, since my Gpa Duvall died.
I just told my grandma Snyder last night that I thought a legacy should start when you are still living. She agreed. We talked about it for awhile..told ya I was already thinking of this, you mind reader you!! LOL!!!
Yeah, this might be a better "do your own post" topic than a "comment on my blog" topic. Either way, I'm looking forward to your ideas Amy! (And everyone else.)
I believe kindness to others is the most important virtue and this is the legacy I want to leave.. that "Faye was always kind"
This is an interesting topic but I guess it can get sad, too. Perhaps writing your own eulogy might be a good way for people to get on with doing great things in their lives.
Me, I guess I'd hope people would just say/think, "He rarely cared about personal extravagance so that he could better spend his time helping others in some way or another." Something like that.
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