Legacies

They say we all make an impact on people whose lives we enter and leave; we all leave legacies with those whose paths we cross.  Far be it from me to challenge traditional wisdom.  Besides, I think it's true.  For instance: 

I'm glad to see at least one thing I had to offer has remained in Mr. Shea's collective memory.  He may not remember it was me, but it was.  Shortly after I began following his blog, I - who still remembered the Star Wars Holiday Special with horror - emailed him a link to the Special on Youtube right around November.  He responded that he had forgotten all about that - which was good news for him!

He then posted the link on his blog under the humorous intro 'From the decade that taste forgot.'  I can't remember if he attributed it to me, or even a generic reader.  But when I met him at EWTN studios a year or so later, I went up to him and introduced myself as 'the guy who sent you the Star Wars Holiday Special link.'  He immediately knew who I was with that intro, and we had a rather pleasant visit.  

Since then, of course, one of us has gone off the rails. Who did so depends on who you speak to.  By early this year, I gave his new blog a chance, but felt the only thing about it was that it was worse than his old blog, if that was possible.  With the exception of a few who still link to his Twitter or similar Facebook posts, and who sometimes email me or others an image, I never go near Mark's online postings.  I have to admit, the sun shines the brighter for it.

But it's nice to see that something I sent him continues to bring a little levity to him and his followers each year, no matter what they stand for.  It almost seems to be a yearly tradition. I doubt he remembers now who first sent him that.  For that matter, I doubt he remembers I'm the one who introduced him to Sam Harris's works.  But I did.  That's probably how it is.  When we impact others, or they impact us, we may not know it or remember it, but that's how it happens in this world.