The meaning of Life (Or Existence at least)
I'm 32, I've pretty much decided I won't have kids. But I think most of us have some form of calling to contribute something to society.
Some people have children in the hope that they will do what they themselves didn't. I'm sure that doesn't apply to most people but I know some that it does apply to. To me that's kind of sad as it means they don't think they themselves have done anything significant so far.
I've also been told that as you get older these things don't matter as much to you. As if you slowly let go of any notion that you could really do something. That scares the wits out of me. If that's' the case bring on the anti ageing drugs, I don't care about my skin as such but my mind that's another matter.
So I've started growing my own veg. I plan to build a house in the middle of nowhere and collect my own water, harness power from the sun, the wind, the water and the earth (geothermal). Make my own compost, process my own waste in reed beds. So in essence I want to go self sufficient.
What if I succeed will I be happy? I reckon probably not.
This is because I would then be just existing. Fine for some maybe, but where's my legacy what in my life would I have contributed, created, done. Sure I've made Weblobe and that could be it. It certainly could allow other people to be empowered and maybe allowing other members of my planet to really make the most out of the web and have the same tools as companies that spend millions of dollars on their websites a year could be it. Weblobe is an unknown entity now, every single client does something I didn't imagine with it so maybe they'll change the world with it. I don't know.
I could plant trees but then someone else may just cut them down.
I could give to charity but as soon as I stop the people I supported would be in dire straits again.
I could write to my MP, and I do, but results may vary.
I could become an anarchist but I'm a database programmer and such order is actually something I kinda crave. At least data order. That's not to say I wouldn't like to overthrow the occasional incumbent government but that's a topic for another day.
So I've worked out the following.
I can't buy a legacy. I can't lobby for one.
Planting things is great but not a future of mankind changing kind of thing.
Those that create a movement or an idea have a lasting contribution.
Ideas from people like Martin Luther King, Charles Babbage, Einstein, Plato, Stephen Hawking and Ada Byron (a personal heroine of mine) have made a significant impact. In the case of Einstein it's a touch double edged because of his involvement in the development of atomic energy but someone was bound to discover that eventually and at least we got all the other ideas and theories too.
Innovations such as solar energy, wind power, geothermal power, hydro power, insulations, telecomms, sewage, water distribution and the basic things that we all just can't live without in the west are other things that come to mind.
These are what I call real legacies to mankind.
Don't get me wrong but is weblobe one of those. I don't know. but I doubt it's the last thing I'll do...
I hope.