"your time here on earth is but a small parenthesis in eternity" -sir thomas browne

why is it that we as human beings feel that we need to make our mark on this world? how many other billions of people have walked upon this earth and thought the same things i have* "i wonder if anyone will remember me in the years to come, i wonder if i am in any way monumental." The fact is i am not. in hours i will be forgotten, a rock upon my head will tell of a year, and a name. it will not tell of the emotions, the accomplishments, the love, the tragedy, the writings, the songs, the failures, or the children i leave behind. but why do we want a legacy? what makes us long to be remembered? i am yet to figure that out.

i contemplated on writing a book, maybe words on a piece of paper will encourage someone to remember my name, or speak highly of me when i am gone. but paper decomposes and the interesting thoughts i have will soon be outdated, and any new theory i embark on will then be old, and tossed away by a new idea or concept, radically overturning mine.
i write music, but as is the nature of the beast it will someday not be the current radio pleasure, and will be gone... i know my music is of the current trend, and not timeless like i had hoped. maybe my best bet is to have several male children, all with my last name. and i will start a family tree... of course a few generations along i will be a name and a number on a tree... and somewhere a rock.

a tree and a rock... that is what my life will be narrowed to in about 100 years.

well i have today, and for that i will make a lasting impression on my own life and those i meet today.

*fin

"...what people fail to realize is that all achievements are eventually surpassed, records are broken, reputations fade, and tributes are forgotten... you were not put on earth to be remembered, you were put here to prepare for eternity."
-wavlen

Comments

Anonymous said…
fin as in cities fin...at all?
John McDonald said…
I think that we want to be remembered because we want to be significant.

I think that when we write poetry or compose by whatever medium of art, we are sharing a piece of who we are. Or even more so, we are opening a window into our soul.

Kinda like when we feel sorrow, we express that sorrow to allow others to know about that sorrow. We want others to be conscious of us as an individual, as something that has worth.

abstract thoughts can be hard to convey, hehe.
laurafee said…
beautiful quote <3
Anonymous said…
I sit here in awe, wondering where I was at this exact moment and time. I have no idea of where I was, for you and the band are the best thing that has ever happened to me in my life.

I have never understood that either. It doesn't make sense. I also wonder why people have to be "bigger" than other people, when in fact we are all the same. It's not fair for the people who work hard in life, to be ignored because of the "popular" people.

Now, if you were gone tomorrow, which I doubt you will be. I will remember you for the rest of my life. You have made such a lasting impact on me, I can't even begin to explain it.

I love you, Stephen. For everything, that you are a person, you are not perfect, everything.
You are my hero.
Luv ya,
~ELLE~
Anonymous said…
I don't know if you will ever read this, seeing as how I am commenting on a post you wrote about four years ago, but...I have been learning something lately that I wanted to share with you, and that is that, as Christians, there really is no mark that we can leave on this world that has any lasting value but what we leave that is of eternity. That doesn't mean that we shouldn't seek to affect the world around us, it only means that we should seek to do so in light of the truth that one day we will exist outside of this time and space, in another realm, one with a completely different economy for determining the value of a life and it's impact on those with which it comes in contact.
This understanding has really changed my perspective on the value of my impact on this side of eternity. I am just a girl, seeking to love and know God better, and in the process, prayerfully pointing others in the same direction for the same reason. So whether I am one day a Grammy award winning musician, or forever remain a waitress in a small town, if I marry and have a wonderful family, or if I remain single for the rest of this life, whether I am rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, successful or a failure in the world's eyes, as long as I have invested in the things of eternity, I will leave a mark that will never be erased, and that can never be taken from me, and that one day, I will hear Jesus say to me about, 'My child, I am greatly pleased with how you invested your life, for you chose the things that mattered.'
That, i believe, is something to look forward to, more than all the riches of this world, more than the the accolades of our peers, more than the praises of the world or the joys of a family, nothing compares to knowing that in that day when we finally see Him, those are the words that we hear.

You are a gifted man, and I believe that you are one who feels God's pleasure as you create. The mark that we leave as Christians and artists may not be always seen now, on this side of time, but one day, will be revealed for all the world to see. How did we live? How did we invest our time, our money, our talent? Who did we live for? Who did we glorify? In the end, that is all that matters, and I think too, is where we find complete freedom from the things that we so often foolishly strive to find to make us somehow feel significant.

I am going to sleep now. thanks for reading, I hope it made sense. Your blog makes me think, and i like that. Like October 8th, when you talked about loaning money...I like the idea, but why can't we just give it? I have to think on that one some more...but it made me think, so thanks. night.
Anonymous said…
ps...and I think we want to be remembered because we just long to be known, as silly as that may sound.

and sorry too if what I wrote sounded like you didn't get the whole eternity thing, both of the buffeting quotes obviously demonstrate otherwise. This is just such an immense lesson that God has been teaching me today of all days, and when I read this, I felt compelled to make all my inner thoughts concrete. Somehow, you, a stranger only known through the often strained and limited intimacy of music, was the recipient and if I had it to do over again, eh, I probably wouldn't hit submit. oh well. I learned a lot today, and it was a good day, so thanks for inadvertently helping me process. I feel like I should go buy your album and stop listening to my friend's burned copy. :) But, if it's okay with you, I think I'll just loan the money instead.

the birds are singing. I think I will sleep. maybe.
Jenny said…
The Beatles music was current & they are still loved world-wide. Current can transcend to classic. I guess it just depends how you see it but as long as anyone remembers who you are and what you did, be it family or stranger, does that not keep you alive in the minds of others?

I used to lie awake at night terrified to sleep because I may never wake up & have not achieved anything worth recognition to the world. I knew that I was just the same as everyone else in the world that had come to pass & it saddened me greatly. I've always wanted to be different & to stand out from what other people were doing but it turned out I was just being "different" in a group.

I'm a writer & an artist because it gives me a sense that am creating something that might matter to someone somewhere. I think that if I can affect other peoples lives in a positive way it will be enough for me but if I can achieve that through my writing so much the better.

Though you want to leave your mark & achieve notability in history never forget that the most you can give in this life is time. In honesty I would remember you not only for your music but the work you have done for others around the world in your humanitarian work. It is the most selfless thing anyone can do & it is great you do.

I'm not sure if I had a point, just a thought train I suppose... It got lost.

Jpxxx
Anonymous said…
Awesome, this made me think of Ecclesiastes
[[pheonix]] said…
I know that this is like the oldest post, but I think that i have an idea..

i think that people want to be remembered because its like as soon as the last person you knew, or someone thinks the last thought about you. your dead. like, there is no way for people to learn about you and what you did and didn't do in your life.
your really just dead once no one ever thinks of you again.

but in turn, that inspires many people to do great things, sure its sad that it takes something like, death, to inspire people in such a passionate way. but atleast it happened. i most people weren't worried about being remembered, i think that we wouldn't have as much as we do now.. kinda.

i don't think its a bad thing to remember, but sad.
CCCP said…
seeing as how this was--what? 9 years ago?--you probably won't be reading this unless blogger happens to send you some notification or something, but what the hell. if you don't read this, perhaps at least someone will, and maybe it will help them.

i couldn't help noticing the sort of helpless tone to your entry, but even if our written or sung or whatever words may soon become outdated and thus forgotten, this is nothing to be too depressed about. True, it's saddening, but beyond that....

So. basically what I'm trying to say is even if we are to be forgotten by the world as a whole, why should that matter if we can be remembered by one someone? Or is that too old-fashioned?....

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