Being remembered

Life, as beautiful as it is, we all have to say our good-byes someday. Have you ever wondered what comes after your death? Are you forgotten as quickly as a flash, merely in the blink of an eye? Or are you honored, reminisced and celebrated for many more years to come?

Well, if you ask me, the people whose lives who you have impacted even in the slightest way possible, will forever have you in their most sincere thoughts. Moreover, you will eternally matter to them and they will cherish you until their very last breath. Having said this, the impression you’ve created for yourself can be good or bad. If you’ve done good, you’re remembered. If you’ve done bad, you’re remembered more than you’d like to be.

Do we remember some of the greatest people in history or the ones who have merely lived an ordinary life? If we take a look into the history of the world, we remember Martin Luther King Jr, an inspiration to millions. His speech, “I have a dream” has impacted more lives than we can count. His words have brought a remarkable change in the way of life for many. He is a visionary and honored until this very day. 

Addressing the lesser-known heroes, have you ever heard of Cleisthenes? He was an Athenian constitution reformer and a well-known politician of his time. When he was given the leadership of Athens, he tried to eradicate the concept of clan politics and tried to change the ways of politics. He did this by allotting political governance based on the membership of a region.

James Madison, the fourth President of the United States of America was another constitutional reformer, known for introducing the Bill of Rights. He is known as the father of the constitution. He believed strongly in the unity of the country. Comparing Cleisthenes with James Madison, we see that both the leaders tried to bring into light the concept of proper leadership by making changes in the constitution.

Cleisthenes was recognized in his times. But now, he needs an introduction. Just because he is a bit unpopular doesn’t mean that he did not accomplish anything. Great people may have been overlooked, that doesn’t imply that they are any less of a hero.

“Oblivion is inevitable.” -John Green

Thousand years from now, will these people be cherished the same way?

Humans strive to be great. We have always desired to be the most superior of all entities. It is a general human behavior to want to be liked. From a young age, people are conditioned to be materialistic in their ways of life. Terms like legacy and heritage make us feel appeased. People are so caught up trying to live a life of greatness and often wanting to be well-known. But at the end of the day, is it worth trying to be remembered? It is quite pointless. Rather than being hung up over the idea of being remembered, relish what you have now.

To whoever reading this, while you’re here, rather than wanting to be remembered after, be alive now and live for the moment.

“Be here. Be all here.”