/ˈmemˌwär/ noun. a record of events written by a person having intimate knowledge of them and based on personal observation. Usually memoirs. an account of one's personal life and experiences; autobiography. the published record of the proceedings of a group or organization, as of a learned society.
For those who missed the inaugural post explaining what the Memoir Monday initiative is all about you can find it here.
This week’s Memoir Monday question:
I have no idea how much the world has changed since I’ve written this. Humanity is struggling with more than a few challenges in our present time (2024) – political divisiveness, disinformation, artificial intelligence, corporatism, war, and the list goes on. I fear we’ve likely left you with a bit of a mess and I’m truly sorry about that. We’re just a few years from the advent of artificial general intelligence and no one knows how that will turn out or what impact it will have on humanity. Will it be utopian or dystopian? My guess is it will be a little of both.
It's often said that, “people get the leaders they deserve” but I don’t think a majority of common people from our present time are inherently bad or particularly deserving of the mess that society is in now. I think decades of misplaced trust in elected officials, divisive social media algorithms, and our own collective apathy have brought us here. I sincerely hope, in your time, leaders are more in line with the will of the people and things are better, overall. I’m sure many of the fundamentals have remained the same in the future.
The first thing I want to tell you is you come from a long line of very tough and resourceful people. These people have found creative ways to survive and thrive in some of the harshest environments you can imagine.
The Waltons were among the first Europeans to set foot on this continent, escaping religious persecution from the Church of England, they were Quakers. According to legend, four Walton brothers sailed from England to the colonies in the late 1600's. Below is a photo of the death certificate for one of the original Walton brothers’ descendants.
The Fmura’s, my maternal relatives, were equally as resourceful. My great-grandfather, Taras Fmura, come to America through Ellis Island alone from Russia in the late 1800’s at the age of eighteen.
Here's a little advice I’ve learned from fifty-two years on this crazy and beautiful planet, I hope you can use some or all of this as a shortcut in your own life:
Be an enthusiast of life. By this I mean at as young of an age as possible notice what captures your interest, things you really enjoy doing, things that make you lose track of time. Develop these interests into a lifelong career. Learn everything you can about them and practice them religiously. You’ll never be perfect but you can always be better. Don’t be afraid to fail or reinvent yourself, if you’re successful in life you’ll do both of these things more than once.
Learn how to meditate and practice regularly. I wrote a book about this and it might still be in print. Keep your body fit and healthy. Develop an exercise routine when you’re young and it’ll pay infinite dividends. Chose physical activities you enjoy so you don’t dread it. Feed yourself with as many optimistic things as you can and laugh often. You’ll have some very tough days but know those difficulties won’t last forever if you make good choices. Life will be much shorter and longer than you think. I know this sounds confusing but you’ll understand this in due time.
Don’t live beyond your means, work hard not to get into debt. If you have no choice but to get into debt get out as soon as you can. Debt is the enemy of true freedom. Start saving money as early as you can so you can use the advantage of time and compound interest. Use this money to build an economic engine that will make you more money. This way, your money will multiply many times over 24/7/365 and will be working for you instead of you working for it. Think of personal debt as a shackle.
As I said before, don’t be afraid to try things and fail. Nothing valuable in life is gained by being risk-averse. Develop an entrepreneurial mindset and several streams of income. Working for others is okay but never believe you’re indispensable to them and always have a side income. Except for a few rare cases, employers rarely have your best interest in mind. Remember, no one has life figured out, everyone on Earth is winging it and some people are just better actors.
Keep your promises as often as you can. Be on time, being late is a sign of disrespect. Give people the benefit of the doubt until they prove otherwise. Be as kind as you can be, everyone is struggling in one way or another. Make reading a habit, develop a passion for self-directed learning. The entirety of the world’s knowledge is within reach in seconds. Challenge yourself intellectually and you will develop a thirst for knowledge. Learn to crave the excitement of being out of your comfort zone, you begin by regularly attempting small things that scare you. A university degree is good if someone else pays for it but it’s not worth going into debt for. Paying back student loans will make it more difficult for you to amass the money for that economic engine I mentioned and will make it infinitely harder to attain freedom.
Be very choosy about the company you keep. If someone fills you with positive energy and laughter you’d better keep them around. If people around you are habitually — in trouble, in need of help, chaos, drama, sad, or negative and don’t show any interest in getting better you must leave them behind if you want a happy, fulfilling life. You can’t change people or even help them if they aren’t interested in learning their lessons. They will only drag you down and bring you misery. The only person you can change is yourself, then you change the world by proxy. Oh, and be especially weary of charisma. Charismatic individuals usually have agendas that won’t turn out good for you. Often they are sociopaths who are like blackholes, gobbling up anyone in their vicinity.
Value making memories over acquiring things. I assure you travel is the best education and investment because it’s an insurance policy against cynicism and bigotry. As you get older you’ll see that cynicism will constantly be knocking on your door, try not let it in. During your travels you’ll learn much about yourself and the world. You won’t be as easily manipulated by the media or those in power. You’ll know first-hand that people who live and think differently from you aren’t inherently bad and realize there’s no shortage of beauty and kindness. Transform your home into a place of warmth, simplicity, and peace that you and your family can retreat from the harshness and chaos of the world.
Last but not least, I’d like to mention your superpower. If you remember nothing else from this remember these next few sentences. No two people see the world in the exact same way. We’re all like self-contained micro-universes that exist on a slightly different wavelength or in a different dimension. This can be pretty damned frustrating when you’re trying to agree with someone about something like what to have for dinner, but it also makes life superbly interesting. Unabashedly being yourself (owning your own unique dimension, perspective, and/or personality) and reflecting it out into the world is your superpower.
Do all or some of these things, and chances are, you’ll be a happier and more successful human in the long run. I wish I could talk to you face-to-face and experience life in your time but, unfortunately, this is a one-sided conversation. Just remember, whatever challenges life throws at you you must find a way to stay hopeful a keep the flame of optimism alive. Hope will see you through to the next day's dawn when absolutely all else fails you. Be well, be kind, and know you are loved. You only get one life and lots of those who came before you have made significant sacrifices so you could have this opportunity, try your best to make the most of it.
It's as simple as that!
At the end of this next twelve months we'll have created something immensely valuable together. It's so important to know our "whys" in life and there's no better way to do that than this.
Someday all that will be left of our existence are memories of us, our deeds, and words. It's up to you to leave as rich of a heritage as possible for future generations to learn from. So, go ahead, tell your stories. I can't wait to read them.
Enjoy the day. I want to sincerely thank all of the participants thus far. I've really enjoy reading your posts!
~Eric Vance Walton~
(All photos are original.)
