This quote has been floating around my head for the last month and since I have been tragically bad at writing a blog post lately I thought I would discuss the idea of chapters in one’s life and the stories we create.
“I’ll be a story in your head. But that’s ok: we’re all stories, in the end. Just make it a good one, eh? Because it was, you know, it was the best”
The moral behind this quote -for me- is that after we have gone from this world or from someone’s life that is all that remains of us; a story. We are no longer there, no more memories to make, but we are kept alive by our story. Of course it diminishes over time but its essence remains; a story in a sentence.
The story could be memories of times spent together, of the good deeds that the person left in his or her’s wake or simply how that person impacted on your own life. The story doesn’t always have to be a good one and is usually dictated by how the story ends, the last lines rewrite everything.
We all leave behind a legacy to the people left in our void; we shape those before us and they in-turn shape us for what lies ahead for better or for worse. Whether we are a part of someone’s life for a lifetime or a fleeting moment we create these stories, chapters spread across your timeline.
Whenever there is a major tragedy, like the 7/7 London bombings, the news always gives a short obituary about how the people who have died lived their lives and what they leave behind. That for me makes me contemplate how I would be summed up, what stories I would leave behind, either for one other person or for a television audience.
“Everything will be okay in the end. If it’s not okay, it’s not the end.”
At the same time, away from the morbidity, this way of thinking offers us hope. That despite one chapter of your life ending, a new one always starts until the story ends. The next chapter could be longer or shorter than the last, it could have more twists and turns, more ups and downs but at it’s heart it is new and new is always better.
I have been lucky to have had the most amazing life so far and I know better than most that every new story is a new life touched. I no longer get sad at the ending of one chapter because I look forward to creating the next; freedom from fate is how we are defined.
You might also like
14 Comments
Reminds me of one of my favourite quotes:
“Everybody has a secret world inside of them. All of the people of the world, I mean everybody. No matter how dull and boring they are on the outside, inside them they’ve all got unimaginable, magnificent, wonderful, stupid, amazing worlds. Not just one world. Hundreds of them. Thousands maybe.” – Sandman (Neil “Literary God” Gaiman
Xx
That’s an incredible quote!
I’m glad I never have to read my own obituary.
Maybe I should write it.
Might give you inspiration on how to go forward with your life or make you happy with the way things are. It is the reason I have a bucket list to make sure that there are at least a few interesting stories mixed in there!
I have asked myself the same question many times and always feel restless and dissatisfied with the result. In some ways I think that is good because it is an incentive to keep going, try harder and as far as possible, be a positive influence on others.
It is a really good way of going through life, knowing that you could and should do better, be better. As long as we don’t let it define us/ dictate who we are.
Great post, James. It kind of sums up my ethos in life – learnt the hard way over the past couple of years – which is “Life is too short, just enjoy it.”
It ties in nicely with the thing that drew me to collecting old photographs; the fact that we no longer know who these people are, what they did, their loves and lives, the imprint they left behind them.
An amazing life is a good one to have, but however we live it, however we conduct ourselves, so long as we’re being ourselves and getting the most out of life, then that’s all good. (Rather a deep sentiment for 8am on a Tuesday, but it’s heartfelt!)
When I people watch I imagine the lives of the people I’m watching; who they call important, what job they do, what they do in their spare time. It’s daft I know but when you don’t know who they are you can imagine the best in people. Being ourselves is a hard one to always know at the time that you are being, only looking back to you realise oh that wasn’t me but I really see your point. It is a deep sentiment but its also an important one and as always it’s good to know I’m not alone in thinking this way!
You’re definitely not alone on that front, I can assure you! 🙂
Always a comfort!
There is something comforting in that quote – in a way, whatever we do we still leave a story. The important thing is to take every opportunity that comes our way and make the most of every moment, and leave a story that we are happy with.
That we make an impression on people through the stories we create. Its how we are remembered.
wow thats beautifully put. it sounds like youve been hurt recently though dude but it hasnt stopped you from being you. nice one. should be frreshly pressed so everyone whose been through some sh1t can have some comfort like I got from reaading this.
Thanks, it was simply realising that the end of one story isn’t the end of yours. That even though you may want a story to never end if the other writer has ended their part then you must too. The rest as they say is history! As for Freshly Pressed, I’ve had it twice so I think i’ve had my fill but thank you so so much