As baby boomers, we are the best at a lot of things, and while The Greatest Generation might have us beat in the category of personal reflection, we’ve all been around long enough to do some pretty good reflecting of our own. That’s what Buck’s County, Pennsylvania’s Larry Lefkowitz has been doing lately, and he shares with BoomerCafé his reflections Beyond The End.
I often wonder what becomes of our accumulated knowledge when we die. Does it get absorbed into a collective cosmic consciousness? Is it passed on to every newborn, much as the chemical and mineral composition that everything is made of since the Big Bang? Or does it just go dark and end like the corporal entity?
Memories … Larry Lefkowitz in a game of basketball with his father.
I have known and admired some magnificently intelligent and curious people who died and took their knowledge with them. After they had spent a lifetime learning and discovering, I watched as the life we know left them. I wondered, is this all there is? All that effort, all that was learned, all of that knowledge, some shared and some unique, just switched off like a lightbulb? What a depressing thought. Who would design such a thing? I find it hard to believe that waste is part of the grand plan.
To this point, attempts at preserving exceptional minds and abilities have been feeble at best. Books and videos have proven unreliable as they are reprinted and sometimes manipulated from their original form.
A great mind – Albert Einstein.
Even our own thoughts are subject to mutation over time. So what is the true legacy of our collective knowledge? I have given this a good deal of thought, to show you how uncomplicated my life is, and I have arrived at some conclusions.
I believe that what you share with those closest to you is the true legacy of what you have learned. This would include friends, family, and particularly offspring. Often, they do not accept the grand gift you give them, but a certain amount of wit, wisdom, and knowledge is gained through osmosis.
Larry Lefkowitz
I remember my father telling me stories about his growing years and it was all white noise to me. But decades later, I remember it more maturely, and it is like a history book stored in my mind.
I do wish I’d been more cognizant in my youth to listen more closely and ask questions, because the inquiries I would make today would surely garner treasures of information. Alas, human life is fragile and short, and we are all too often busy making our own history to research that which came before, even if it was right at our fingertips.
Larry, I enjoyed your article and shared your sentiments. From my perspective, I think each of us needs to make an effort to pass along our insights to our children, leaving that as our legacy. I did it through my book, A Father’s Letters, but any avenue is acceptable. We just can’t afford to miss that opportunity.
Great piece, Larry. My mom will turn 100 in May, and as I’ve gotten older, I’ve developed a need to learn more and more about her past, in part so that I can pass that information along to my daughter. My wife always says that as we age, we find ourselves drawn to people who have shared our past. I think that’s so true.