An Author's Thoughts on Legacy

Leaving our mark on future generations!

Substack has been such a wonderful surprise. When we started our site about ninety days ago I thought we’d be taking my creative craft to an arena where the public “voted” on our stories by following along, or not following along. The bigger following you have, the more audience approval you’ve earned. Little did I realize Substack would be a window into the soul – both mine and yours.

Longtime friend and mentor Fred Smith used to say “writing knocks the fuzz off your thinking.” I’m finding conversations with my daughters less superficial and much more spiritually collaborative. Writing has led to a different way of thinking. Before we put it out there, thoughts have to be carefully rehearsed, sharpened, and harmonized with our soul.

But the real surprise has come through reading the thoughts of others. Unlike reading a book and discovering reflections of the author through the story’s pages, Substack’s newsletters offer almost a daily snapshot of what’s on other writers’ hearts. In the last few days, I’ve read of a wife who loves her husband so much she’s divorcing him; another wife applauding her husband for re-inventing himself after retirement; one writer who aligns with my spiritual thoughts; another who’s pursuing zen; a triumphant writer who’s found Promise through examining cracks in her life; someone else carefully considering the seven stages of addiction; heck, even one guy praising his brother for the effective defense of someone accused of murder.

I’m changing the old adage from “if you want to know what someone’s thinking, ask him,” to “if you want to know what someone’s thinking read their Substack!” I find other writers thoughts and creativity fascinating.

But all that’s out there is not hearts and roses. Some of what I read is also disturbing. Sometimes others’ thoughts are like witnessing a slow-motion train wreck – you know the result is going to be bad, we just don’t know how bad.

What works on Substack and what doesn’t is a mystery all unto itself. Why people heap accolades on one person and not the next contains its own fascination. Is it the ability of one to be able to promote more successfully than another? Are their thoughts more closely organized? Does a more artistic submission attract more so than a mainline piece? My eyes have been opened to a new way of evaluating literature.

Legacy occupies a lot of my mental gymnastics these days. How the world views me is of no importance. How God and my family view my life’s work is of extreme importance. That’s why I’m writing. They’ll have a huge body of work from which to evaluate my life. That’ll determine my legacy.

Experience has no substitute. Capturing experience and recording it in a usable form is invaluable. My kids can enjoy my thoughts; their kids can enjoy my musings; and beyond those two generations, no one can tell who might see these writings and find help in the way I have juxtaposed thoughts and words. But when you cheerfully serve an audience of One, and only His opinion matters, who really cares about all the rest of these issues?