Visiting the forgotten

[mtbc]

A few weeks ago I mentioned thoughts on how we pass away and are eventually forgotten. It may be that people are kept alive in others' memories but they too pass. Last week we walked around the Glasgow Necropolis and it was interesting to think about that: so many grand and smaller monuments largely for those whom nobody now alive ever met.

There are people in history whose work I appreciate, whom I would have been interested to interview, whatever. My wishing I could have spent time with them is ultimately no more useful than my belated thanks for their work. Knowing their name at all is mostly helpful just as a label for finding further things they did and discussing them with others. What they did becomes more important than who they were.

Comments

[wpadmirer]

But isn't that something we all desire? To be remembered for what we did? (At least those of us not doing evil things.)

[mtbc]

I guess I'm thinking that in time it matters rather more what was done than who did it; the "who" becomes an increasingly meaningless label. Of course, this doesn't mean it's any less important to do good things!

[mtbc]

Thinking about it some more, I think I'm indeed more anxious to not be remembered for bad things, though of course that too fades in time. It's nice that it feels good to do good things even if the beneficiary doesn't realize anything was done, let alone by whom!

[wpadmirer]

Yeah, that's kind of my thinking. Doing something good that lasts means a lot. So if your name fades away, the what you did doesn't - and that's cool.

[mtbc]

It is. I also like to think that maybe if I did some good things then that helps encourage others to do likewise. For instance, if I am kind to my kids then maybe they will go on to be kind to others. It's a nice thought anyway.