“It’s hard to predict what life will be like in a hundred years. There are only a few things we can say with certainty. We know that everyone will drive flying cars, that zoning laws will be relaxed to allow buildings hundreds of stories tall…” said Paul Graham a computer programming language designer. It’s always fascinating to imagine how this world will be in a hundred years from now, while some think that man will start living on Mars, others think that global warming will destroy human life on earth.
A 100 years from now? hmm a lot of things could happen, a lot of unknowns but one thing I know for certain is that very few people (almost NOBODY) will even remember us or talk about us. Unless you have some very interesting and dramatic stories or accomplishments even your own family will also forget you. If you think I am exaggerating, just pause and think of what you remember about your great grandparents, do you even know their names? Well, if you do not know or remember much about your own great grandparents then what are the chances that anybody else will remember anything about them?
A 100 years from now…a lot of unknowns but one thing I know for certain is that very few people (almost NOBODY) will even remember us or talk about us.
As I look into history books the only people whom the world would remember for many years/centuries are those who have done something earth shattering or invented something that totally transformed human life or history. But the reality is that many of us do not belong to that group of chosen few who play a vital role in changing the course of human history. In fact many of us are not even recognized while we are alive; I have no idea where we came up with this notion that people will remember us after our death.
Historians keep track of some significant people in human history not because they love them, but because they want us to learn lessons from them.
For many years I use to ask myself this question “What would the world remember you for?” till it recently dawned on me that may be the world will not even remember me at all, forget remembering me for doing something. I think it is a fantasy and an unrealistic wish some of us hope that the world would remember us for something we have done in a specific period of time. Let’s face the reality, the world is moving forward and changing so quickly that it will have no time to really think of people from the past. Historians keep track of some significant people in human history not because they love them, but because they want us to learn lessons from them.
The wise man in the book of Ecclesiastes nails this reality in several passages of the book. Eccl 1:10 says “There is no remembrance of men of old, and even those who are yet to come will not be remembered by those who follow.” Eccl 2:16 says “For the wise man, like the fool, will not be long remembered; in days to come both will be forgotten.” And finally he tells this story in 9:14, 15: There was once a small city with only a few people in it. And a powerful king came against it, surrounded it and built huge siegeworks against it. Now there lived in that city a man poor but wise, and he saved the city by his wisdom. But nobody remembered that poor man.”
Isn’t it sad? It’s almost depressing to think that even great people will be soon forgotten. We are all trapped in a rat race and sometimes are obsessed with climbing the corporate ladder, but I think once in a while we should ask ourselves “Will this matter 100 years from now??I personally think instead of trying to be remembered by the world, it would be wise if we just focus on doing the so called small things at our hand with passion, if nothing at least our children and friends will remember us for our attitude towards life. I do not think any of us will be remembered a 100 years from now, but what we do today for our children and friends will have a ripple effect that will continue to influence human life for hundreds of years. In the words of Harry Gorman “What gives life lasting meaning is not what we grab here, but what we leave our children, what they can hold most dear”.
I do not think any of us will be remembered a 100 years from now, but what we do today for our children and friends will have a ripple effect that will continue to influence human life for hundreds of years.
– – Author: Rev. Francis Burgula – –
