Every person is the protagonist in his life story. Consequently, we are antagonists or side characters in each other’s life stories. The difference between us and fictional characters is in the number of audiences and the crafter of the story. Unlike the fictional character, we do not have some unforeseen force writing our story or millions of people watching and laying judgements to our choices. For the fictional character, the opinions of the thousands watching hold no value or impact. Their opinions hold no significance. The same, however, cannot be said for us.

In real life, our audience hold power. Little in number but powerful nonetheless. They are not unknown names behind a screen and keyboard. They are our parents, siblings, relations, friends, colleagues, exes. They are even our enemies. They are the women we buy our breakfast from or the men who fix our cars. They are the security men at work or our neighbors at home. The people who are impacted by what we say or do. These are the people whose voices, mutters or whispers will determine what will be said about us after we are long gone. They decide whether our stories are worth being told. They are all who are significant and insignificant to us. 

To quote an actor, “One mans’ monster is another mans’ hero.”

We present different faces to different people. Each face has an impact and depending on the interaction will create a positive or negative, fleeting or lasting impression. That is not to say that we can not control what our story will be. The power our audience holds is in telling the story. They will tell what they have seen, what they have observed or experienced. It stands to reason that if we want them to tell a particular story we have to show it. We have to live it. Some call it “Controlling the narrative.”

At the end of the day, we are men not gods. We can not shape our lives to be exactly the way we want it. We can not make our audience tell exactly what we want them to tell. For they have the power of discernment and when it is used, could make us unflattering characters in their own stories. Just like a friend once said, “We are all villains in someone else’s story.” 

No one comes to this life expecting their stories to be told for centuries to come. It is a feeling or that develops over time. The idea of being forgotten does not exactly sit right with lots people. So we result to different tactics to ensure that our names are immortalized on things or people that will remain long after us. We start to make videos, write books, sing songs, make controversial statements. We try our best to stay relevant for as long as possible. It may work or it may not. The success of it depends on what drives the need. Often times, when this feeling is fueled by the wrong things such as pride or narcissism, our efforts become futile or put us on the wrong side of the books. Our works might end up in a vast sea of other works, completely lost to time. Too much effort put into trying to be remembered a certain way that we loose sight of the prize. When the feeling is positively fueled, the feeling quietly dies down. The urge slowly disappears. Not because we have lost sight of the prize but because, slowly, we have achieved what we desired on a small scale. Satisfaction has been realized. The desire to be remembered by the world leaves. We become concerned only for those around us. Those whose words hold the true power. We don't need a thousand deeds. A few good deeds will suffice. 

Even famous people are at one point forgotten. What makes us, the simple man, the exception? 

To be remembered we must be worth remembering. Our audience meet over a hundred people in their lifetimes, so, why should they remember us? What makes us so important? What makes us special? Why should our legacy be maintained? Theses are questions that we must ask ourselves. These are questions that will guide us. And when we find the answers we must act accordingly. What ever we throw into the universe is what we will receive in turn. When we give out the positive, we will receive the positive. So it is with the negative. We must do our best to make sure that our interactions are as positive as possible. It is easier to forget the good and remember the bad. We must be extraordinarily good should we wish to be remembered on history’s good pages. To quote an author, "Live today they way you want to be remembered tomorrow." 

In the bid to be remembered, we should not forget to live our lives to the fullest. The moment we are born the clock begins to tick. Every second counts. Every breathe taken in pretense is time lost forever. Our time is limited and our actions are temporary but their effects are forever. We should live like we are not being watched because regardless of what we do, our audience will say what they wish to say. So, we can not live our lives burdened by what might be said about us. There are different tongues and so different stories. Some stories will survive and some will not. We have very little control over that. Let us live, love and laugh. Who knows, the odds might be in our favor. No one comes to this life of their own volition. That does not matter. What matters is how we leave it. It is important that we live our lives as best we can. We will not know our story. We will be dead and gone before it is told. We can only hope that the memories we create with our cast and audience, will make an imprint on the sands of time. There is no greater horror than having regrets at the point of departure.

It is important that we understand that nothing is truly immortal. Time ensures this. It is immortality's greatest adversary. However, there are the few, the one percent who have withstood the trials and tribulations of time. They have survived wars, extinctions, evolution, advancements. They have become myths and bedtime stories. Their existence now cause for debate. They have become text books and essays. They have become variations and assumptions. Immortality is not confusion. When they are no longer considered relevant to the current times, they too will finally be forgotten. And it will be okay. 

We are free. We are free beings. We are not bounded by plots or settings or writings. We are not a single book but rather are a series of books. We are our own authors, directors, writers, producers. We create our own stories with unlimited budgets. We create our twists and revelations. Absolute creative freedom belongs to us. We are the stars of our life stories. The world is our paper and we are the pens. And if our audience like what they see, they will be compelled to spread the word.

#WM2024