Life & Living and Death & Dying
Martin Luther King Junior helped an entire population of African Americans gain civil rights, changing the future of America forever. Clara Barton founded the American Red Cross, saving more lives than she would ever know. Elvis Presley wooed millions of women, being known as “The King of Rock and Roll.” Steve Jobs started a company in his garage, creating the most widely known brand of technology in the entire world. What am I doing with my life?
Every day I follow the same basic routine: wake up, get ready, maybe hang out with some friends, maybe go to work, eat a few meals, then sleep. Sometimes, as I’m showering in the morning or before I fall asleep at night, I find myself wondering if people will remember me when I’m no longer on this earth.
Someone once asked me if I knew my great-grandparents’ names. I do. Then, they asked if I knew my great-great-grandparents’ names. I don’t. He then went on to make the point that I am only a few generations away from no one remembering my name.
Hearing that left me asking myself, “What am I doing with my life? How can I better the world and make something of myself?” I can’t continue to follow the same routine every day. That will just get me a few great-great-grandchildren that don’t remember my name.
I wouldn’t say that I necessarily want to become famous but rather I would like to enjoy life to the fullest and make small impacts in the lives of many. When I am old and grey like my grandparents, I refuse to talk about what medications I’m taking and which friends are dying and about everything morbid. Instead, I want to be able to tell my grandchildren a million and one stories about my life, and I hope that they will be able to pass on to their children and then their children and so on.
People are scared of dying. That’s a common fear. However, it may not be death itself that scares people, but rather it’s the fear of not living that scares people. People get to the end of their lives, and they realize they haven’t lived. They have no stories. And, in a few generations, they will have no name.
