(Note I started this post 2 weeks ago, just finishing up way later)
I guess after my previous post, Get Busy, and Dave's post/response Impact, I feel I have more to say on this subject so I will continue the topic now.
While I know I would be missed by friends and family and those around me. I feel that nothing significant would really change. I have impacted plenty of people's lives and change who they are, as many people have change me and will always be a part of who I am as well. I guess I am feeling like if everyone in the world put some effort to leaving or changing the world in a positive way before their time was up we could make a difference.
I mean besides those close to me, I haven't change the world, I haven't left a mark that many hundreds, thousands, millions, or billions would ever think of, or feel the effects of. This is when I feel like sometime before I go, I have to find a way to have my voice be heard, even if for just one thought, but make something heard that is thought about and spread to people around the world. I want to be able to leave a mark that effects people I have never known, people I didn't personally communicate with. I feel like I would be capable of cheering up, teaching, or otherwise changing the course of people's lives ever so slightly in a positive way. I think working towards this goal is a worthy use of my time.
I guess this reminds me of a conversation I had with Jesse Walker of the Flobots. Something to the effect of no matter what happens now, where he goes, what he ends up doing, his music will live on and be heard by many people he will never meet. His CDs will spread, the lyrics will be heard, and after everything else he was still a part of something incredible, something that will always go on without him, will impact people without him. If Jesse Walker ceases to exist there will still be some kid inspired by the Flobots, who will hear that music and it could change their life and change their day.
If I disappear tomorrow, most everything I have done is known by friends and family, but I don't really have words, art, music, or anything else that is passed around outside of my own little group of people. I don't pass anything on to the next generation. (Partly because unlike the religious right, I don't believe I should attempt to force my beliefs on people, but rather educate them to make their own decisions.)
I have been thinking lately what kind of thing I would want to try to do, say, or share with the world.
I love that most of my friends think I have impacted their lives in a positive way, I appreciate all the friends I have had. The ones that come in and out of my life for moments or time, and the ones that are there on a weekly basis. I just feel like if you can only impact your friends your only impacting those people that sort of get you and the way you live anyways, if you want to really help any of the great problems of the world. You have to be able to reach people that are so different from you, so far from you, and possibly so unlike you that you may possibly never meet, communicate, or even get along with.
Which leads me back to the same question that has been running through my head for over two years now...
If you had one thing to say, one message to be hear, one sentence to share... What would it be?
Comments (5)
Dan, you have made a difference. Think about your cre group of friends and how you have impacted them, and they have inturn impacted others around them and it does get passed on.
And your extreme hatred for all things grammatical would so be included in your one sentance, message whatever. You are important to me and have made a difference in who i am and for that i am grateful.
Posted by dom^2 | August 1, 2006 7:08 PM
Posted on August 1, 2006 19:08
I used to want to change the world and when i kept failing i retreated. Until someone told me that if you influence one person's life you change THEIR world.
Dan, do you want to be famous so the world knows what a great person you are? Or do you want to positively impact the world?
If its the latter I'd say you already have.
Posted by nicole | August 1, 2006 8:49 PM
Posted on August 1, 2006 20:49
Nicole becoming famous is a whole different topic than wanting to change the world. The famous this is just kind of a fun thing, that I am playing around with in reference to the energy drinks. The changing the world could be entirely separate from my name. I mean it would be cool to be remembered, but it would be more than good enough to really just leave a lasting positive change on the world even if you are not given credit/known for it.
I also don't think just changing one person, which goes on to change other people counts, yes you can change ONE persons world, but everyone does that. I mean even the most evil people in the world are loved by someone, effect some family, and possibly have a few friends. If I really want to have a better and more friendly world left behind, I can't say everyone can just keep effecting the few people around them, that has been going on for thousands of years. I would like to see all the power of the new media, communications, and other technology to be used to speed up the process to help spread the positive changes and impacts further and faster. I mean we can't only use this technology stuff for death and destruction can we?
I know what you mean though, and changing the people around you is very important, but I feel there can be more, that I should do more, that it would be a shame if I never took the time to try to affect more than just those who are close to me.
So no one has the one thing they would say???
Posted by Dan | August 1, 2006 11:59 PM
Posted on August 1, 2006 23:59
why do they call it "menopause"? it's not on pause... they should call it menocease, or menonevergonnahappenagain. go buffs!!
Posted by dave | August 2, 2006 2:20 PM
Posted on August 2, 2006 14:20
i would say everyone should become buddhist communists. It would be a better world that way.
Posted by nicole | August 2, 2006 5:38 PM
Posted on August 2, 2006 17:38