Immortal? Not Really, I'm Mortal.

Comments were made to me recently about obtaining immortality and questions have been asked concerning one's legacy. In both conversations achieving a lasting fame or at least being remembered is the thrust, not physically living forever. I said I wasn't concerned about such things. I haven't even wanted a tombstone, which is all the remembrance some people ever have. A friend said I already had achieved immortality because you can Google me on the Internet (if you had my full name) and find 130 hits or so. These are all related to what of mine was published at one point or other.

I call it immortality by association. For instance, a collection of 18 magazines exists called the“Stephen King Rarities" (pictured to the left) because they contain some of his earliest published stories. It contains two of his, which is twice the one of mine included. But it lists every author in the collection, so I ride to reflected fame on the quill tips of Stephen King's pen.

And this is also true for collections of Nero Wolfe and Robert Block and Agatha Christy.

I found the whole idea of my "immorality" silly and undesired, until I began to think of it in terms of legacy. I still don't want a perpetualization of my name. My name can disappear from the footnotes and margin doodles of history, but shouldn't I, and us all, want a legacy of righteousness to others to exist. If we do what is right to another, and in turn, that person does right to someone else because of it, and that someone else continues the process and so on generation after generation, then isn't that a true and desired legacy?

Prov 12:28

In the way of righteousness there is life;

along that path is immortality.

Anonymous said...

My friend, you will not be forgotten once your spirit departs from your earthly body. Whether you desire it or not, you will leave a legacy. We all leave a legacy of some note. Hopefully, the legacy is a positive one.

April 5, 2008 10:51 AM