Dead people have populated my dreams of late, friends and relatives who have crossed over into the next life. There’s a randomness to it. They rarely stay long enough to say anything but hello, but they visit.
Dead people have populated my daydreams of late, too. Random people. Some I knew well, others I barely knew at all. I get flashes, pictures, portraits, each sparking a memory that sits for a while.
There’s an innate comfort in this.
An odd sort of solace.
It’s funny who we remember. I struggle to remember the names of the rich and famous, but I remember Sr Martina O’Callaghan, a nun who taught me in Baby Infants. I corresponded with her as a teen, when she was posted to then Rhodesia.
Long since dead, she popped by the other day.
Her visit reminded me of something attributed to Charles Schulz, the mind behind the Peanuts character who once described his life as a life of rejection.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America pageant.4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.6. Name the last decade’s worth of World Series winners.
The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.These are no second-rate achievers.They are the best in their fields.But the applause dies.Awards tarnish …Achievements are forgotten.Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners.
That last line got to me.
I’ve been going through my parents’ papers and deciding what to do with such certificates. I can’t bring myself to bin them.
I framed a certificate my grandmother got when she graduated in English from an Oxford college. It’s hanging on my wall.
Mine are buried in drawers somewhere, paper confirmations of my degrees that no one has ever asked to see. I could frame them, too. But that seems a little too self-serving.
Back to Schulz.
He posted a second quiz, one I did a lot better on:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
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2 responses
Those that make a difference in our lives don’t always improve things for us. Perhaps not even for themselves.
Either way, we’ll remember them 🙂