In today’s post I’m going to talk a little about something you might call legacy, I suppose, or what you leave behind for others to associate with you. We all hope that’s going to be more good things than bad but overall we all leave a wake of some sort while sailing through this life that can and does affect others.
I’m reaching the point in my life when you start thinking back to where you were decades ago and how things brought me to this point and where I’m going from here. Tied to that is the growing realization that I'm probably getting close to a tipping point where I’m going to have more of an affect on others than others are going to have on me. That isn’t to say others still won’t affect me to some degree—we all interact and affect each other, after all—but that there are going to be more younger people behind me moving forward than older ahead of me. And the younger are more often than not affected by the older. And that will only get more true the longer I live. And all this got me thinking some about legacy.
Case in point was a visit to a local library. This particular library is of a special interest since it was close to where I grew up and spent much of the first part of my life. I used to ride my bike there in the summer for books and come home enjoying my finds without any other distractions (since I was too young to work). And it was during those visits I used to imagine what it would be like having my own titles on the shelf. At the time the library boasted a rather robust sci-fi/fantasy section, which further aided my imagination.
I would stop and find the section of shelf where my last name would best fit and just stand there a moment and think what the book would look like, spine out. It was a fun exercise for one so young and helped build confidence that one day that could very well be true.
Fast forward several years and I found myself again in that same library–remodeled and updated for new era—but still the same library. And I found myself again reliving those early days. Only this time I didn’t have to imagine what the book would look like. It was right there waiting for me.
And just as those books on the same shelf I once read growing up inspired me I was blessed by the thought of this title and series being an inspiration and even enjoyable form of entertainment for others. It was almost like coming full circle in a way. Here’s to more of those experiences in the future . . .