Do Not Forget

Throughout history, man as a whole has always had the undying need to be remembered on this planet. Every civilization, from the ancient Mesopotamians to modern communities in the world today, has strived to leave their mark, and to make people remember that they lived. For many people, one of their worst fears is that future generations of human beings will have no inkling of their existence. Withal, there are still some people who believe the complete opposite. These would rather live quaint, average but fulfilling lives than be known to the world.  These lives leave many feeling accomplished, and would do the same for me, except that a life like that would leave me in anguish. One of my lifetime goals is to be remember and revered by many after my death. It may be an "impossible dream," but I want my name to forever be on the lips of the world's never ending populace.

Since the dawn of man, many men and women have longed to be weaved into the tapestry of time. Many outlets have been used to try to fulfill this objective. The prehistoric Cro-Magnons painted extraordinary images of their prey onto cave walls. Great thinkers such as Aristotle and Plato have used their immense knowledge for the betterment of mankind, and in return have been remembered throughout the ages. Architects have strived throughout the ages to create innovative, massive, memorable structures, trying to forever etch their images into the minds of the generation. Even artists, many of whom claim to just be expressing themselves, whether through stagecraft or physical works of art, try to mold and create the genre anew, thereby being known by many as a great influence to the arts. When there is no other outlet, many try to go down in infamy, being remember not for their kindness, but through their cruelty and inhumanity. After all, most people, whether for good reasons or bad, want to be remembered for years to come.

On the other hand, there are some who would rather live everyday, ordinary, hum-drum lives than be known to the world. These people want to blend into the woodwork, and let the world keep on turning without leaving a large, conspicuous mark. They would rather be remembered by their families and those who knew them as loving, caring people, or generous and kind homemakers. After all, for them, they are just one part of this massive puzzle called life, one tiny, insignificant speck of dust on a clover. Why make of fuss when in a century or two, you will already have been replaced by hundreds of other living, breathing humans, and you will just be dust in the wind? This philosophy works for many a man, and they meander through life as content as one can be. However, this is NOT the life for me.

There is no question that I do not want want to be forgotten. Like most men before me, the quest for remembrance drives many of my crucial actions. However, the more I hear of other thing people want to be remembered for, the more apparent it becomes that this quest is no more successful than Don Quixote's. Some say they want to be remembered by inventing something and having it named after them . This sounds like a phenomenal way to contribute to society and be remembered, until you have thousands of "Gedriches" in landfills across the country in a couple of decades.  I would love no more than to be remembered for my artistry and performances on stage, where I am allowed to touch and move people, and provoke stimulating thought. Stagecraft is my true love, and one day I truly hope to be remembered for my contributions to the field. However, the cynic in me says that no matter how great my influences, the art is always morphing and changing, and one day every bit of significance of mine would be lost in the works. So for the time being, I just hope that, however cliché it may be, I will be remembered as a good actor by many, but more importantly, a great man by all.

By and large, the quest of remembrance by man is just chasing windmills. No matter how full of effort our attempts are, in a single, solitary millennium, the single contributions each of us make, and who we were, will have been forgotten. Try as we might, the cynics in all of us tell us so. In the meantime we can just strive for the cliché we all know and loathe, and just try to be the best we can be. Those that try to be remembered for acts so sinister will always be the fools, for try as they might, their faces will ultimately just blend into one large mass of unloved, misguided souls. The same could be said about all futile attempts of remembrance through kindness and art, but one thing we know for fact is that in the many years to come, we choose the shade of light history shines on us. Even if we are remembered only briefly, would you rather remain in the dark, or let the world see the brilliance of you for that small allotment of time?