Earl and I attended the visitation of his friend yesterday afternoon. Bill was a member of the local community for many years, taught at the high school for 37 of them, belonged to more than one Christian church during that time, and — at age 76 – was still going full throttle.
So what happened?
There was a freak accident on his farm that involved a surly horse and a sulky, that small cart for one person with little protection for the rider. Earl’s friend was that rider when the horse spooked and ran taking Bill with him.
We stood in line an hour to share memories with his widow; during that time, I said to Earl, “This is an opportunity to think about what we want to leave behind.” That is, our own legacy.
For me, it’s not about being rich and famous. I don’t think it was for Bill either. And it’s not about having hundreds of people stand in line to acknowledge my passing. I haven’t lived anywhere long enough to have the kind of acknowledgement Earl’s friend had.
Still, in my passing, I hope it’s about touching a few people who, in turn, will share what they learned from me and pass it on.
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