Where my office is located in the building I hear lots of interesting things that happen in the front lobby and the hallways. Some are funny, most are forgettable. Earlier today I overheard a conversation at work that got me thinking about age and legacy. A little old man walked into the company today with a box filled with Caterpillar machine die cast models that he had been collecting over the years. He talked about how he used to have them arranged on shelves in his den and had little stories about several of them. He brought them to us to see if we knew of anyone who wanted to buy them. He wasn’t overly concerned about price, but wanted them to go to a home where they would be appreciated. Our receptionist asked why he was selling them, since they obviously meant a great deal. He said that he and his wife were moving into a retirement home and there just wasn’t room for anything but the essentials.
A crowd of employees had formed by this point, exclaiming over the models. Some were really old and rare (the models as well as some of the employees, LOL), but the care that had been taken to preserve them over the years was obvious. The old man was thrilled to tell the story of his model collection to everyone there and the smile on his face by this point was the brightest thing in the room. That small box held more than just a jumble of toys, they held his history, his legacy. That small box was his life story in something other than words. He had to get rid of them because of space constraints, but by sharing the story behind them with us his legacy won’t die when he does.
One of our employees was so impressed by the collection and the story that he bought the entire box within minutes. I think the man was happier about the fact that his collection would remain intact than with the money he walked out with.
This entire event got me to wondering what my legacy would be. What will I leave behind in the end? Am I creating a story worth remembering?
I haven’t done anything especially heroic, saved a life, inspired anyone to invent the latest world changing gizmo, or donated a kidney to a family member. I don’t think that means anything bad, it doesn’t make me forgettable in the eyes of those I love. I just doesn't make me unforgettable in the eyes of strangers, and that really isn't very important to me.
When I thought in the past of what I someday will leave to future generations it has always been with a bit of trepidation. Most people can point to their children as their legacy. They know that, good or bad, there will be a piece of them left in the world. No, I don’t have that. But that doesn’t mean my legacy is any less than anyone else’s. It just means that I have to be more creative in coming up ways to leave a lasting impression behind, just like that little old man who touched the lives of my coworkers and I with a small box.
It dawned on me at that moment that a legacy doesn’t have to be some grandiose event that the world over will remember for thousands of years. It can be as simple as a memory of a smile brought by a stranger. I don’t know that little old man’s name but I’ll never forget his story.I don't care if anyone remembers my name after I am gone, I just want to leave behind a memory of a smile and laughter. If I can make someone's day a little brighter as I pass through it that is enough for me. I'll admit I don't succeed every day, but I do try.
Think about what the world would be like if the billions of people on this planet made it their goal to make one person laugh every day, to bring a smile to just one person's day. Think about how luminous this world could be if each of us strove to make just one person's day a little brighter every day.
