Blog Post For the Week of March 17
This week, I found the novel Santa Evita to be very interesting. I've never read a book like it and it gave me very mixed feelings as it was a compelling read but was very disturbing at times. One of the passages of the book that struck me was on page 52 where the author says, "if a soul has not been recorded, it is as though it had never existed." This quote is very accurate, and it made me think about how quickly people are forgotten. Eva Peron's life was well recorded in factual and fictional stories. Thus, her existence will continue to live on in the hearts of her admirers for years to come. However, there are so many others in this world that are not recorded. They come and go, and soon no one is left alive that even remembers them. For all intents and purposes, it really is like they never existed. Yet, they did exist, and without these people, the world would not be what it is today. This seems sad, but when I thought about the perpetual hatred directed at someone like Eva by some people even after her death, it makes me wonder if it isn't better to be forgotten than to have people attempting to smear my name and ruin my legacy once I'm no longer alive to protect it.
Hi Joe, I really enjoyed your take on whether it is better to be remembered or forgotten. I think for many people the idea that if you do not make a big impact on the world that at some point in time no one will know who you were is scary. This might have some impact on why people strive to do big things and come up with new ideas. However, after reading this book I can see your point that it might be better to just be forgotten. No one is able to slander your name or ruin your reputation if no one actually remembers it. Because after you and the people who were close to you are gone there might not be anyone to protect your memory.
ReplyDeleteHey, Joe!
ReplyDeleteReading this was powerful for me. I myself am guilty of wanting to "leave my own legacy behind" at least for my family. I treat this as a double-edged sword, a motivator and a pressure. In one conscious, it motivates me to do my best at my genuine passions, I may not know how it could affect/influence the world! In the other conscious, I escape the pressure by trying new experiences and paying more attention to what I genuinely value in my life because even if no one remembered me, I at least know I enjoyed the time of my life.
Not everyone gets to live until their full life expectancy and no one knows when their last day will come, so I encourage you and everyone else to stop waiting to do "that one thing" and to just do whatever you want with your life before it's over! At least you will be content with yourself and the time you sacrificed towards certain passions and interests you had; it is other people's choice to think the way they want to think of you, that is only their choice.
I have confidence that Eva Peron would also co-sign on my comment here. She simply dedicated her time and attention to her desires, and she eventually became a renowned first lady (even if she was lucky in any way). I don't think she would've imagined herself getting so much attention and recognition when she was in her humble beginnings; you never know what your impact on the world would be until you do you!
Thank you, Joe, for the blog. I like the point made about is it better to be remembered, even if it is in a negative way, or to be forgotten. As someone who specializes in family history, I often think about the church records I am analyzing and realize that this is the only record of a particular person's existence. If the record is lost or becomes unreadable/unusable, all evidence of this person's life disappears as well.
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