Leaving our mark on the world

While we live, each one of us is in a continuous relationship with everything and everyone around. From the moment of our conception, we instil in others and, especially, close family, a joy, a sense of responsibility and, at times, worry as well. In each one of those who come to know us, a new person has been added to their minds.

Every day as we grow, things change to accommodate us. We need a room, a bed and food. We rely on our parents, our family, doctors and carers. We build relationships with friends, family, teachers and acquaintances. Even though we are individuals and cloistered in our thoughts, yet, as others form part of our thought experience, we form part of theirs.

In the various states of life, we hardly realise that we are forming part of so many communities. Whether it is the family, the school, the football team, our neighbours or a religious community we make connections – we become part of the wider world in the physical and the intellect.

As individuals, as physiologically different persons and as persons of different qualities we leave an impression on those around us. And, even though time passes, our embedded impression into the minds of those we would have come across in life is carried on.

They recognise us each time we meet from our looks. As tall or fat or beautiful is how they know us – besides our names. Beyond the person as a body, we leave a mark on our communities in the way we behave and our nature general. Whether we are lively and bubbly, reserved and quiet, aggressive and mad we leave qualities of ourselves. In whatever we say, whatever we do and by whatever we create, people will remember us.

In our lives we utter billions of words, and with those words we instil emotions, wisdom, humour, teaching, instructions and commitments.

Expressions, at times, simple small talk but, at times, communications of great importance, love, hate or emotions. In so many ways, we leave our mark. A Facebook message, a kind note, an angry yell. In a quarrel, in lovemaking or a simple appreciation, we sow our seeds through words.

We hardly realise that we form part of so many communities- David Pace O'Shea

Then, there are the professions or status we hold and things we do like being teachers, parents, businesspeople, politicians, doctors or carpenters. Each act we perform we are remembered by. The kind teacher, the boring priest, the excellent doctor or the thief. The things we build even in their simplicity are tokens and memorabilia that we leave behind.

Then, when we die, people will look at our coffin praying for us thinking we have gone. But we have not really gone. Our children admired qualities in us or hated us for something but they carry on what we gave them. They carry so much of what we would have taught them and so would our grandchildren. Memories, values, principles and moments of laughter or sadness.

Each one is not just a body but a wholesome person of matter and intellect.

When we die, our body will turn into a corpse but that part of us beyond our body lives on inside the minds of those who knew us. In that spirit lies all the package of the ‘me’ in the form of images, words or symbols they hold in trust. A spirit which entwines with what we received from our ancestors and which we pass on to them.

This is a truth that needs no faith.

When we pass, the legacy we leave is not at our notary, in frames or inheritance we leave behind.

It is the ‘me’ humanity carries in every bit and byte we managed to convey to love us or to loathe us for what we were.

David Pace O'Shea

David Pace O’Shea is an observer, thinker and well-wisher for a better society.