Fading into Memory (Updated from 2/10/2015)

Photo courtesy of Crystal D'Zamba 

12971 

Retired from active duty, she sits on blocks. 

There will be no salvage as the wood surrenders to time.

Rats that jumped ship were replaced by their field mice cousins.

Winters come and go, and through all, she abides her fate.

Yet, for 12971, the eye beholds her hidden beauty.

One imagines the animation as she regains her old luster;

Paint and rotting planks miraculously become anew.

The men manning nets hanging from booms on the center mast.

The captain yells out orders as the catch is spied ahead.

12971, a rotting derelict, all but forgotten.

For those that see, beyond what is presented,

There exists another beauty which can only come with age;

Of history, adventure, and stories of those who served.

For those able to see, there is still much to learn.

Fishing boat 12971, retired from active duty?  Perhaps.

But, for as long as she can be seen, she teaches.

She teaches about life, work, and a love for the sea.

There is a lesson of history, danger, and livelihood.

And there remains a quiet beauty, as nature reclaims her soul.

12971; she could be any one of us.

As we get older, are we fading into memory?  Are we doomed to be hauled off to rot on some forgotten corner of land, ourselves to be forgotten in the course of time?  What of our lives and adventures, lost loves and love found?  Does a lifetime of success boil down to a retirement home and a round of golf?  Is this all there is, and is this enough?

I have known some very wealthy people and I have heard of others.  Many of them work their entire lives to leave their mark on industry, the business world, or just in their profession.  They will be remembered, some footnote in history, some plaque on a wall; remembered and just as quickly forgotten.  It is more likely one will be remembered for what they do for others, than what they do for themselves.  It is their selflessness, not their selfishness, which etches them into our memories.  Our legacy should not be what we have built for ourselves but, rather, what we have built for others and what we contribute to society.

"I would rather have it said, 'He lived usefully,' than, 'He died rich.'"

-- Benjamin Franklin

What is the difference between fishing boat 12971 and the flight by the Wright brothers at Kitty Hawk?  We look at 12971, imagine all of her contributions, and see an artistic beauty which remains.   The crew has long faded into memory.  As for Kitty Hawk, we remember Orville and Wilbur Wright, and we may see the craft they flew in our minds eye, but it is their contribution to the world which sticks firmly to memory.

“If you're in the luckiest one per cent of humanity, you owe it to the rest of humanity to think about the other 99 per cent.”

-- Warren Buffett, business magnate, investor, philanthropist

Many of us see the libraries, museums, centers for the performing arts, and the like.  We see the benefactor's names that adorn the many buildings and remember their wealth being used to enrich the lives of the common man, not so much do we remember how they made their enormous wealth.  Even today there are billionaires that, selfishly, fully intend on leaving their massive fortunes to charities and the betterment of mankind so they can feel so much better about themselves.  Somehow that statement just doesn't float.  Perhaps, even more to the point, they just don't want to fade from memory.  Do any of us?

But, the majority doesn't have the finances to leave this kind of legacy behind.  For us there is the legacy of paying it forward.  What we do today can have great effect on those that come after.  How we treat others has great effect on how they, in turn, treat someone else.  What we teach to others is taught, by them, to someone else.  Our legacy is not in what we have, but in what we do.  Will we eventually fade into memory?  Of course, after all, only the pharaohs and kings are ever unearthed by archeologists with any fanfare.  Their minions, for the most part, regardless of contribution, are lost to the sands of time.

But, for as long as she can be seen, she teaches.

She teaches about life, work, and a love for the sea.

There is a lesson of history, danger, and livelihood.

And there remains a quiet beauty, as nature reclaims her soul.

Editor's Note

(Re: disclaimer cum "get out of jail free" card)

Before you go getting your panties in a bunch - it is essential to understand that this is just an opinion site and, as such, can be subjected to scrutiny by anyone with a differing opinion. It doesn't make either view any more right or wrong than the other. Opinion, presented in this context, is a way of inciting others to think and, hopefully, to form their own opinions, if they haven't already done so. This is also why, occasionally, I will present an "opinion" just to stir an emotional pot. Where it may sound like I agree with the statements made, I'm more interested in getting others to consider an alternate viewpoint.

I fervently hope that we keep open and active minds when reading opinions while engaging in peaceful and constructive discussion in an arena of mutual respect concerning those opinions offered. After twenty-three years of military intelligence, I believe that engaging each other in this manner, and in this arena, is a way we will learn tolerance and respect for differing beliefs, cultures, and viewpoints.

We all fall from grace, some more often than others; it is part of being human. God's test for us is what we learn from the experience... and what we do afterward.

Pastor Tony spent 22 years with United States Air Force Intelligence as a planner, analyst, briefer, instructor, and senior manager. Following his service career, he spent 17 years working with the premier and world-renowned Western Institutional Review Board, helping to protect the rights of human subjects involved in pharmaceutical research. He also served 8 years on the Board of Directors for the Angela J. Bowen Foundation.

Ordained in 2013 as an "interfaith" minister, he founded the Congregation for Religious Tolerance in response to intolerance shown by Christians toward peaceful Islam. As a weapon for his war on intolerance, he chose the pen. He wages his "battle" in the guise of the Congregation's official online blog, The Path, of which he is both author and editor. "The Path" offers a vehicle for commentary and guidance concerning one's personal, spiritual path toward peace and the final destination for us all. He resides in Pass Christian, Mississippi, where he volunteered as the lead chaplain at a regional medical center.

Feel free to contact Pastor Tony at: tolerantpastor@gmail.com