What Will Be Your Legacy?
It is only in a primitive society that people rank having children, houses and vehicles as achievements.
No. None of them is an achievement.
Animals too have children and you don't even need intelligence to have children. All you need are functioning reproductive organs for procreation.
Having a house is not an achievement. But designing and building a monumental edifice such as the Pyramids of ancient Egypt; having a house for a unique library, art gallery or an institution for an outstanding purpose will make it an achievement.
The world is full of abandoned houses that will end up in ruins and most posh cars end up in the junkyard.
Having any vehicle is not an achievement, but inventing or making a unique vehicle is the real achievement.
What is an achievement in having children is what you will train or make your children to become in life such as training your child to become an outstanding lawyer, medical doctor , pilot, astronaut, lecturer, auteur, architect, philosopher, leader and other outstanding roles in different occupations and professions like when you talk about Isaac Newton for the Law of Gravity; Albert Einstein for the Law Relativity and other outstanding examples in the history of human civilisation.
Who is talking about the mansions of Isaac Newton or the cars of Albert Einstein? They are irrelevant to their timeless achievements in the advancement of human knowledge.
Karl Lagerfeld, the famous German fashion designer just passed away yesterday and the headlines are: "the iconic German fashion designer famed for reinvigorating Chanel and reinventing fur at Fendi, has passed away in Paris."
Known for his legacies at Chanel and Fendi.
No headlines for having children, mansions or fantastic cars.
There were other classical philosophers in the times of Pythagoras, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle, but the ones we are quick to mention were those with enduring legacies.
Among the icons of High Renaissance Art were Leonardo da Vinci, Raphael, Michelangelo, and Titian and among the most famous artists of modern arts were Vincent van Gogh, Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali. I was called "Pablo" in the art class of the famous Nigerian artist and printmaker, Prof. Bruce Onobraekpeya at St. Gregory's College in Lagos. I was an art prodigy in my teens. My illustrations were exhibited in Japan when I was 20 and at 30, I was the curator of the biggest art exhibition in Nigeria and Art Against AIDS exhibition in Africa in 1993 held at the National Museum and National Arts Theatre in Lagos. My drawings and paintings sold out.
There were other playwrights and poets in the days of Homer, William Shakespeare, William Blake, Alexander Pope, John Milton and other geniuses of both classical and modern literature. But only the outstanding ones are the ones in our libraries and studies in our schools, colleges and universities. And the famous German writer and philosopher, Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's legacy is today a global institution of the Goethe Institut with about 159 institutes worldwide.
The world still remembers Mozart and the other greatest classical music composers; including Beethoven, Bach, Chopin, Tchaikovsky, Vivaldi, Schubert, Handel, Liszt, Haydn, Strauss, Verdi, Brahms and Wagner. They have inspired the generations following them.
Coming to political leadership in the history of modern Nigeria; the greatest achievements are the legacies of the great Yoruba sage, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, the first Premier of Western Nigeria known for introducing free primary education in the nation building of modern Nigeria and launching the first TV in subSaharan Africa in Western Nigeria in 1959. Great milestones that no other Nigerian political leader achieved in his era and generation. Of course, the first skyscraper in tropical Africa, the 26 storeys Cocoa House in Ibadan was built during the administration of his successor. Chief Samuel Ladoke Akintola.
Becoming a filmmaker, actor, actress and singer is not an achievement until you have achieved something outstanding in filmmaking, acting or singing. Because even intellectually retarded people can make films, act and sing. But only those who can prove that they are extraordinary win outstanding unique awards of recognition are achievers.
Anybody can have the knowledge to become a film critic, film writer and film historian, but the achievers are the ones who have won awards and written outstanding books on the film industry and for film studies.
You don't have any achievement of legacy until you have become outstanding in your chosen career, occupation or profession in the society and can point to outstanding milestones in your family, community and society.
Your life is meaningless until you make it meaningful to your family, community and society in the advancement of human civilisation.
As I always say that everybody has a story, but only few will make history.
The legacy of knowledge is the greatest heritage.
"Whatever you can do or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power, and magic in it."
"Knowing is not enough; we must apply. Willing is not enough; we must do."
"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free."
~ Johann Wolfgang von Goethe.
~ By Ekenyerengozi Michael Chima, author of "Children of Heaven", "Scarlet Tears of London", " In the House of Dogs", "The Prophet Lied", " Diary of the Memory Keeper", "The Victory of Muhammadu Buhari and the Nigerian Dream: An Eyewitness Account of the 2015 Presidential Election" and other books.
https://www.amazon.com/author/ekenyerengozimichaelchima.
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