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I was just watching my neighbor pull into his driveway. Two energetic children tumbled out of the van, and Daddy made sure to get something brightly-colored from the back seat. He was in business attire complete with tie, so it was clear he'd picked up the children on his way home from work.
All those little things that go along with parenting, I thought. He picked them up; he's carrying that tote bag or whatever into the house for them. They may never consciously remember that he did this today.
I realize raising a family is one of those things that give meaning to people's lives. What's his purpose, today? The point of his life? In part, it's to work in many ways small and large to ensure his children get food and schooling and whatever else they'll need. In a way, parents are producing something for later. Their work lays a foundation for people who will (hopefully) outlive them. I could look at it as seeking immortality, I suppose. I could look at it as selfish promotion of one's own genes. Today I choose to see it as giving to the future.
Some people give to the future through innovation. The more inventions are made today, the more choices and possibilities are available for people tomorrow. Some people give to the future through their day jobs: teaching, for example, or working for the environment, or building roads. Some people discover a polio vaccine or write classic plays. Some set up scholarship funds.
I want to give to the future. And I haven't. My day job, when I had one, didn't even give to the present. I won't be raising a family. I want to think more about the ways I'd like to give to the future.
Is giving to the future important to you? If so, what ways are meaningful to you?
All those little things that go along with parenting, I thought. He picked them up; he's carrying that tote bag or whatever into the house for them. They may never consciously remember that he did this today.
I realize raising a family is one of those things that give meaning to people's lives. What's his purpose, today? The point of his life? In part, it's to work in many ways small and large to ensure his children get food and schooling and whatever else they'll need. In a way, parents are producing something for later. Their work lays a foundation for people who will (hopefully) outlive them. I could look at it as seeking immortality, I suppose. I could look at it as selfish promotion of one's own genes. Today I choose to see it as giving to the future.
Some people give to the future through innovation. The more inventions are made today, the more choices and possibilities are available for people tomorrow. Some people give to the future through their day jobs: teaching, for example, or working for the environment, or building roads. Some people discover a polio vaccine or write classic plays. Some set up scholarship funds.
I want to give to the future. And I haven't. My day job, when I had one, didn't even give to the present. I won't be raising a family. I want to think more about the ways I'd like to give to the future.
Is giving to the future important to you? If so, what ways are meaningful to you?
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That doesn't mean that *everything*, or even a *lot* of what I do is for the future - it does mean that (for example) running off and working for Burt Rutan is the kind of thing that would tempt me if I thought I could make a difference there. But in the mean time, getting people to stop using perl is not a bad start :)
_Mark_