Reading history reminds me how impermanent things are. People, buildings, businesses, countries and, alas, even books can make a huge impact on the world but eventually they die, decay or change and are very often forgotten. Depressing, but also a reason why history is so important.
Within a century the landscape of our community, state or country may be radically altered, all it takes is a little invention, like the train or airplane or Internet to create a new paradigm and send everyone and everything scrambling.
Sometimes I think about the men, they were mostly men, who worked so hard to create things; monuments, businesses, museums, that are now gone, or swallowed up by something bigger. I wonder if they worked so hard because they though their creations would last forever or because they enjoyed the work.
Andrew Carnegie’s mission is a great example of a lasting legacy. He wanted to help communities build libraries ONLY if they were willing to make a long term financial commitment for continued support. That one little rule is why town and cities all across the country still have libraries. The books are no longer in the great stone monuments that Carnegie originally funded but in new library buildings that the community continues to support. Each town made a promise that led to the continuation of the Carnegie idea: help people help themselves and create institutions that would give back to the community.
Carnegie was looking for a way to create lasting good that would span generations. His vision became reality. Practically any 21st century teenager can begin their journey to self-improvement and discovery at the library, or bookmobile, just like they did 100 years ago.
Compare that to the sad ending of the Arkell’s story in Canojoharie, N.Y. (see June entry). Both father and son’s great companies are gone, the Beech Nut plant now a decaying memory of what used to be. But what is left is their collection of art and books, which, thanks to the library and museum, will continue to inspire and delight and remind New Yorkers of their past.
My take away is two-fold:
“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”
Sometimes I think about the men, they were mostly men, who worked so hard to create things; monuments, businesses, museums, that are now gone, or swallowed up by something bigger. I wonder if they worked so hard because they though their creations would last forever or because they enjoyed the work.
Andrew Carnegie’s mission is a great example of a lasting legacy. He wanted to help communities build libraries ONLY if they were willing to make a long term financial commitment for continued support. That one little rule is why town and cities all across the country still have libraries. The books are no longer in the great stone monuments that Carnegie originally funded but in new library buildings that the community continues to support. Each town made a promise that led to the continuation of the Carnegie idea: help people help themselves and create institutions that would give back to the community.
Carnegie was looking for a way to create lasting good that would span generations. His vision became reality. Practically any 21st century teenager can begin their journey to self-improvement and discovery at the library, or bookmobile, just like they did 100 years ago.
Compare that to the sad ending of the Arkell’s story in Canojoharie, N.Y. (see June entry). Both father and son’s great companies are gone, the Beech Nut plant now a decaying memory of what used to be. But what is left is their collection of art and books, which, thanks to the library and museum, will continue to inspire and delight and remind New Yorkers of their past.
My take away is two-fold:
- Enjoy the work, or don’t do it. Life’s too short to spend your days drudging through paperwork or nodding off in meetings. It’s also to short to try to squirrel away money that you can enjoy ‘someday’. Check in with yourself to find out why you are doing what you are doing. Do you know?
- Spend time on lasting legacies, things that matter and make a permanent difference for the future. This does not include vacuuming, weed whacking or cleaning the garage. If you haven’t noticed, the grass keeps growing and the garage is always full of junk. It does include connecting, helping and caring for the people you love, creating beauty and doing something that is meaningful to you everyday.
“Our days are numbered. One of the primary goals in our lives should be to prepare for our last day. The legacy we leave is not just in our possessions, but in the quality of our lives. What preparations should we be making now? The greatest waste in all of our earth, which cannot be recycled or reclaimed, is our waste of the time that God has given us each day.”
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