11/11/11: MONUMENTS
What do we build monuments for? Is it so that we can communicate a sense of accomplishment? Is it so that we can commemorate an a particular moment in time? Monuments are typically erected as a testament to an achievement that is either perceived as planned or passed. We either build towards the future, or to remember the past.
There are an abundance of war monuments on this world and they serve a solid purpose. They remind us of those who gave their lives so that we might be able to pursue our own. They memorialize the fallen soldiers who might otherwise be forgotten by those not directly related. The soldier's monument tends to be a solemn one, one that conveys a sense of grace, dignity, and respect.
Were you to erect a personal monument, what would it be? What effigies best represent the essence of you and your lifetime achievements? Would you be a stethescope? Perhaps a pint glass, or a golden goal, or a head of lettuce. What is it about you that truly defines you? Are you a videogame controller, a cash register, a diamond ring, or even a family pet?
It is easy to pay tribute to those who have achieved greatness in life. It is easier still to pay tribute to those who have achieved greatness in death...
But what about the rest of us mere mortals? What is it that would become our legacy monument? Each of us will be remembered, at least for a time, but what would be the one thing you would choose to be remembered for, were you given the chance?
Perhaps your defining attribute is a colour, a place, or an animal. Maybe you are a magenta, or Bristol, or a giraffe.
Knowing who you are is importnat, but knowing what you represent is equally so. We all have our monuments. We will all leave a legacy. Mine will likely be words and stories, and it is a long, proud legacy that I am happy to be a part of. My family has a long history with the English language, and it is a legacy that I am proud to be a part of. My monument might by a quill, or a laptop, or a battered old notebook filled with implied scribblings.
What will yours be?
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