Wednesday, October 5, 2011

RIP

Years ago I was having a conversation with my dad. We were sitting on his crappy couch in the little apartment he'd rented after separating from my mom. I don't remember exactly why I was there because at the time I was married, graduated, and no longer living back at home. I was probably just there to visit, and it probably wasn't too long after him setting up in the apartment.

We talked about a lot of things that day, most of which I no longer remember, but there was one thing he asked me that I'll never forget. He asked me why I didn't have any kids yet. I wasn't really prepared for the question, but I answered truthfully. I said I didn't know and that it just hadn't been a priority. He asked me, “Don't you want something to pass on in this world? Some kind of legacy that will last after you're gone?” I told him I didn't know if I'd ever have kids, but that I hoped that someday my legacy would live on in a book that people could read long after my time on this world was done.

Strange that I finished the beta draft of my first novel a day before Steve Jobs died.

I don't expect to be famous. All I want is to make a nice little ripple in this pond we live in. All I want is for some geeky picked on kid, or some tired and aspiring college student, or somebody's mom or dad to pick up my book and find a little escape from the crappy world that we live in.

If that was my legacy, I’d put that on my tombstone and die a happy man.

I can't imagine changing the world.

Rest in peace, Steve Jobs.


4 comments:

KamilleE said...

I agree. All we have left when we die is what we did and I seriously hope people remember me for doing good stuff.

Jon said...

Good blog, Shawn

Mark Teats said...

Nice post, Shawn.
I've made my living for the past 15+ years specializing in Macintosh computers. I've also done most of my writing during that time on a Mac.

My life would be a lot different if it were not for Steve Jobs. He definitely changed the world in many positive ways.

Shawn Enderlin said...

>> I agree. All we have left when
>> we die is what we did and I
>> seriously hope people remember
>> me for doing good stuff.

Amen, Kamille.

It's sad the our last two posts on this blog have been of such a somber nature, but at least they are examples of people who, despite whatever personal challenges they may have had in life, left lots of good things behind.

Here's to following their example.