Pep Talk: “Legacy over Length”
March 6, 2017
The unexpected question was certainly thought-provoking. “If you could pick five deceased people to have dinner with,” queried a buddy over a beer in a northeast Denver establishment, “Who would they be, and why?” Four folks came immediately to mind, starting with Jesus.
The Jewish carpenter’s earthly life fascinates me. He was curious and cool under fire, always asking questions and would have made a great journalist. Obviously many felt threatened by the master teacher’s message of living by the spirit and not by rules and laws. The Nazarene didn’t asked anybody to start a religion. The out-of-this world ambassador encouraged others to follow a spirit starting with love and ending with self-control and believing, as noted in Galatians, “Against such things there is no law.”
Abraham Lincoln would get an invitation. Our nation’s 16th president saw injustice and tried to address its destruction. America today? We live in challenging times. What a thrill it would be to hear the Kentucky native’s thoughts on how to handle the current strife. I can’t imagine the sleepless nights endured during America’s Civil War and the tragic backlash received after freeing the oppressed and upsetting the status quo.
I would hope Martin Luther King, Jr. had time to join us. In 1968, I was old enough to remember his assassination. Five decades later, America faces similar civil unrest. The social activist had a dream that resonates deeply within the A Stronger Cord community outreach wellness movement. It does not matter the color of skin, location of dwelling or statement of assets, Americans need to build a stronger cord to one another. Why not with wellness? The preacher was also an amazing orator and great writer.
The dude at the bar was bobbing his head in agreement as the fourth invitee was unveiled: Mother Teresa. Officially known these days as Saint Teresa of Calcutta. How did a petite woman become a giant for the forgotten? I love how she described herself: ““By blood, I am Albanian. By citizenship, an Indian. By faith, I am a Catholic nun. As to my calling, I belong to the world.” She reached out to the isolated, vulnerable and displaced. Admirable indeed.
Back to reality. With a good song playing in the background the bar conversation paused a bit, before my buddy offered, “What about the fifth? Who would it be?” It didn’t take long to suggest, “My dad.” The father of four passed almost a decade ago. He’s missed daily. My buddy grinned, raised a glass and asked, “Where you gonna make a reservation?” Humm. Given the nature of the guests, it would not have been fancy and probably would have been inexpensive considering one invitee’s reputation of turning water to wine.
These days, I have trouble staying up late but believe the dinner conversation would have gone deep into the night. Five incredible human beings. Only one (Saint Teresa) lived into their 80‘s. It’s a reminder, the length of our journey is uncertain but the legacy is not. Work diligently on it this week, at dinner and elsewhere!
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