Artifacts

For whatever reason, it occured to me this weekend that everybody leaves behind artifacts of one kind or another when they go. Some of those are obvious-creative works like songs and books have a life of their own and live after us. If you’re a builder, your houses or skyscrapers will live on after you as well.

But there are other kinds of artifacts. Living, breathing ones, that have profound impact on the world, even though we’re not around to appeciate it directly.

Friends. They’re an artifact. Our families are perhaps our most important work that we leave a lasting imprint on in one way or the other.

Somehow, in the everyday hustle and bustle of life we forget that we’re building something that has lasting consequences. It’s very easy to do, isn’t it?

Memories are artifacts, too. Build great ones, and people will never forget you.

So, what does all this mean? Ask yourself everyday: What am I building? With my family, friends, in my creative life, in my circle. What about my reputation? It lives on, too. A good one or a bad one has the same half-life.

A good one is better. And apparently we can wreck a perfectly pristine reputation in very short order with just one or two kill shots, mistakes made in the heat of the moment. There’s a warning here: Walk circumspectly or else. Taking our eye off the road for even a second could be disastrous.

I don’t want to leave behind a bunch of broken relics and ashes. Rather, I aspire to build lasting memories, people who love me, a great family, great songs, good books, and most of all a good reputation. All with God’s help and grace.

Gotta go now. I have a lot of work to do….