Sunday, November 7, 2010

Legacy

Kelly Slater won his tenth world title yesterday. Pretty sure he knows what his legacy will be. I envy him – sitting there with this monumental, hard won accomplishment – looking out over the vast expanse of the rest of his life – knowing, that his legacy is set. Anything else, is icing at this point. Anything he does, save scandal or crime, can be a total failure, and he will be remembered forever as a tremendous champion.

Today we canoed through a cave in Belize – thought by archeologist to be a site of Mayan rituals and human sacrifices. When we got back to St. Ignacio, we walked through the Cahal Pech ruins – only a block from our hotel. It was peaceful on the cool stones in the jungle – quiet and shaded with beams of sunlight creating some interesting shadows. Perfect place to sit and reflect, high on top of the oversized steps. There we were, sitting on concrete evidence that these people have left an indelible mark on this planet – a legacy of unimaginable endurance.

So what do I leave as my legacy? I will not build a stone monument, or win even one world title in anything but I have to believe, that in some way, what I am doing, what we all are doing, will endure. I have to believe that one day, my children, my nieces and nephews, will know that I tried to have a lasting – if only small - impact on the lives that I have touched. I do not see my legacy on a grand scale, but more as a legacy of a life fully and well lived, a legacy of quiet integrity. That would be my monumental championship.






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