More on my legacy

I have written about my thoughts on my legacy before. I would normally tell you to go look, but I am in a nice mood tonight. So its here: http://randomrants08.blogspot.com/2012/01/2012.html. Isn't that nice of me?

Tonight, as we drove home from the State Fair, I looked up and saw a sign for the USMC. I had thought about being a Marine. Don't laugh. I wasn't a great student in high school, or middle school, or elementary school, or pretty much any school after pre-school and before law school. So maybe the military was the right way to go. But I didn't do that. Anyway, I realized that Marines leave something behind. Just a little bit of themselves every time they go to some foreign country to protect people or fight or whatever you want to call it. Its their legacy.

I thought about this on Friday. My wife and I were talking and trying to come up with some solutions to a problem. She said something like "If your dad were alive, he would know who to call." I came up with a name. HA! Seriously, I found someone to call. But, it turns out it was someone my dad worked with and someone who respected my dad. In fact, when he called me back, we talked about my dad for a bit. I enjoyed that conversation. (It also has made me miss my dad more. But that is for another day.)

I realized after I hung up the phone that my dad's legacy was more than I thought. I hadn't talked to this guy in 20 years or so. Yet, I called and left a message using my dad's name. I got a call back. My dad made such an impression that even though he passed away 9, almost 10 years ago, his name still makes people think.

So what is my legacy? If I were to disappear tomorrow, why would people remember me? Would people remember the bad, my mistakes, my fuck ups? Would they remember me as a father? As a husband? As a brother? (I would bet no.) As a son? Maybe. But would they remember me for more? Would they think "Hmmm..........the world was a bit better because Jon was here?" I don't know. And quite frankly, that scares me. Am I really going to leave the world a worse place than it was before I came?

I sure hope not. I have time to leave some legacy. But maybe I am trying to hard. Maybe it just happens. I don't think so. My dad left an impression because of who he was. He made an impression on everyone. He left the world a better place. I wonder if I will do the same...............