A Legacy

 

A friend asked me a pretty profound question this evening.  If I cured cancer, but was told that if I publicized that I was the doctor who had discovered it I would die, would I attempt to still receive credit for it?  This was all part of a lengthy discussion over legacies and what you would mean to the world before and after we die.  Do I care that much about what the world will think of me when I leave this life?

History has many individuals who are still remembered today.  Alexander the Great, Abraham Lincoln, and Gandhi are a few of the most famous people in our planet’s history, and are people who will always be held in high esteem.  And my friend’s follow-up question: do I want to be one of those people?

I thought about it for a minute.  Have you seen the movie Lincoln, yet?  It’s wonderful.   But by usage of history and the creative gears of the screen writers and director, they recreated Abraham Lincoln in that movie.  Historians have picked his life apart, from birth to his assassination, and dissected everything about him.  There are college courses on a lot of famous people like the individuals I named above, and historians still try to learn more.

Was Abraham Lincoln a good father?  Was he a good husband?  How well did he lead the United States?  Could he have done better?  What did he do wrong?  What did he do right?  Was he actually racist, as some people suggest?  Did he kill vampires?  The questions go on and on, and the rest of the world offers their opinions and seek out proof or anything that would support those said opinions.  And then people twist that “proof” to better suit their judgments… blah blah blah blah.

After thinking about this, I decided personally I do not want to be like that.  Yes, Abraham Lincoln was an incredible President considering everything the US went through while he was in office.  Regardless of what great gift I could give to humanity that would ever make me as great of a legend as he is, I don’t want to hold that level of fame.  I don’t want to be studied.  I know that for every person who supports me or believes in me, there will also be a person who will disagree with me.

Would I seek the cure to cancer?  Sure.  But if given the choice to go down in history as the hero who conjured up the remedy for it, I would rather not.  Besides, those who do good things  for fame would probably do bad for it, as well, right?

Look, my goal, and I think others should take this up as well, along with my regular ones, is to try and positively impact one person each day.  No matter how big or small, just make a difference.  It could be giving a tip to the guy at Taco Bell, which no one ever does, or letting someone into your lane in the middle of traffic.  It could be holding the door open for a stranger, or something crazy like paying for the people’s Starbucks behind you (I’ve never done that, to be honest.)  Little things like that.  Or big things.

I feel good about myself for doing that, and I don’t really want recognition for it.  Why?  Because that should be how we naturally interact with others.  Those acts of kindness should be how we always treat others.  I feel like my legacy, if there will be one at all, will be a positive one, as long as I live my life in that way.

So, no I don’t want to be as famous as Abraham Lincoln, nor do I want everyone to know who I am.  (I do want everyone to check out my blog, though, and give me feedback, ideas, and their own thoughts.)  I’m not going to try to do something amazing for recognition, but if I do, it’ll be because I had the ability to or because it was the right thing to do.

Let me put it this way, to end.  I’d rather be a good person who does good things, and not be a good person because I do good things.  Just like how an athlete makes plays because he’s a good player, and isn’t just a good player because he makes plays.  And if I'm known as anything, I'd rather be known as that.  Think about it.

Some more food for thought.  Thank you, Serafin, for always giving me something to write about.