Grover Edie’s “In My Opinion” column got me thinking about legacies.
Many of us have children and some of us have built businesses or created art. These and others are all fine accomplishments, but they are not out of the ordinary.
One of us is not likely to write the great American novel — or the Canadian or Chinese or Danish one for that matter. For the most part, we’re pretty good people — some would even say that we’re impressive — but only a select few will have monuments built in their honor. We may not all leave records of our time here on Earth.
The thing is, a legacy is sometimes not a “thing” at all – at least not something you can touch, but rather something that is felt.
A legacy can be something quite simple. Take, for example, a recipe passed on from parent to child. The recipe is not just a list of ingredients and a series of steps: it’s the time spent together, the aroma of the ingredients cooking and the taste of the end result. All of these “things” can combine to create a happy experience and, later, a warm memory.
And so, a legacy is really quite simple: It’s time.
It’s the time spent with loved ones, teaching them a skill or taking them along with you on a business trip. It’s the time spent with a young person, offering them career advice and guidance.
Who needs monuments when you can make good memories?
So I ask you: Will you take the time to build your legacy?
P.S. Following up on Grover Edie’s prior “In My Opinion” column (AR, March-April 2017), the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office approved both of his trademark renewals!
