The Legacy Inheritance

by Patrick Donnell

  It made him uncomfortable to think of releasing traits that both defined and made up who he was. This was something he resolved to do. There would be better habits to form that could take the place of his self limiting ones. As much as it scared him, he would embrace the act of redefining himself through conscious choice to face the rest of his life.

  Jeremy pondered others who were in similar predicaments as his. Even those people he worked with who had lost their jobs felt the same thing that he was going through, because they were going through their own version of the same repercussions. He knew the hurt and fear they were facing. They were actually in a worse position than him. Many were not prepared financially to endure the downsizing without

  significant personal losses. Some would be like himself in a less than desirable age bracket.

  Many would have wage ranges much higher than a new employee should. There would be many suffering from different forms of depression. Some family tensions would occur as a result. Children and spouses would suffer as a downstream result.

  The lack of company loyalty would leave emotional bitterness. A drain on governmental unemployment resources would occur. Many would become so frustrated that they gave up on themselves.

  He felt for each one of them. Many were going through worse things than him because of the job loss. Jeremy felt their pain in his heart because it was his pain. He felt like crying for them as he finally comprehended empathy. He even vowed to so something to help others in that situation as soon as he was able.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Three

  He finished up in the restaurant, paid his bill and then left. Jeremy sat in his car deciding which way to go next. Too many choices flowed through his mind.

  Jeremy started the car, pulling out of the parking lot. He turned to the left in the direction of Elijah Hallow’s bookstore. Elijah was open for business.

  “Jeremy, welcome back. To what do I owe this honor?”

  “Hi Eli, can you please share a little more information about Blake?” Jeremy felt like he had been left wanting.

  Eli smiled warmly. “Of course, what do you want to know?”

  He did not know the answer to that question. “Honestly anything. What was Blake like? What trait do you remember the most?”

  Eli came around the counter to light a stick of incense. “Let’s see. Blake was an intense individual. He got to be so focused in each individual activity that neither heaven nor earth could distract him. That is not a bad thing.

  He did not ignore people either. Blake would allow any distractions through caringly. Then his focus would go back to whatever he was working on. It was incredible to see him that way. He accomplished so much because of his focus.

  You know Jeremy, it is a difficult thing to explain Blake’s single- mindedness of purpose. It was intense. When he got that intensity and focus in him to finish something, no obstacle would stop him.

  He would seek out whatever he needed to learn then apply it. He would get back up from every mistake and setback. None of them would keep him from an established objective.

  Not many people choose to have that level of focus. Everyone is capable of it. Most will make excuses as to why they do not focus on things with intensity. They make excuses about their lack of follow through. They make excuses about failure.

  All of the excuses seem so real to the people as well. They buy their own story believing it one hundred percent. They will argue the validity of their excuses with more effort than would be used in the intense focus of accomplishing something.

  But, truth be known Jeremy. I have never heard anyone make an excuse for being successful.” Eli’s cool nature and flow of words almost mesmerized him.

  Eli was right of course. Jeremy recognized the truth on an internal level. He thought back on mistakes he made and the excuses he used to cover them up. Every setback, failure, shortcoming and disappointment had been paired up with an excuse of his own making. He had used some excuses so much that they were true to him.

  Eli had a way about him that felt like all aspects of his life were in balance. Jeremy recognized it as much as he recognized his own shortcomings with the lack of focus and follow through.

  Maybe Eli’s spiritual nature flowed out of him like the way people described Blake. Jeremy was not sure. He liked the feeling that came to him when he talked to Eli. Even getting his own shortcomings identified made him feel like things were in balance.

  Jeremy spoke with Eli until a group of customers came into the store. The customers needed some assistance from Eli. Jeremy ended the conversation making a reason to leave so he would not interrupt Eli’s business.

  He returned to the car and again wrote in the journal. Jeremy recognized his own intense focus as he wrote. It comforted him to know that at least he possessed the seeds of attributes Blake had.

  The journal itself continued to grow in volume. There was much wisdom contained within the pages. He continued to add thoughts to the pages. Meeting with Eli provided enough knowledge and insight for him to capture in the journal.

  Jeremy was convinced that he would be able to complete a sufficient eulogy for Blake. Actually, he wanted to do more than just what was sufficient. He had done that too much in his life already. Now he wanted his work to be great.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Four

  Jeremy took out the list of names to select the next person to visit. He was surprised to see that only one name remained on the list. He did not realize he was working through all of the names already.

  It was an oddly reminiscent feeling for him to think that the project would soon be completed. He had learned much already. The short drive to the last name on the list provided him little time to think about the eulogy or his financial problems.

  Mark Law was a senior business executive. Jeremy felt honored that the man took time out of his schedule to meet with him. Mentioning the name Blake Kudrow definitely opened doors for him.

  The man was not overly tall. However, Jeremy felt as if he was in the presence of royalty. Mark had a regal air in his solid stance and sturdy stride. His lanky frame contained a stately manner.

  Jeremy took note of how Mark was friendly, but reserved. His steely gaze and dark eyes observed every detail. Mark’s full head of gray hair crowned his head and matched the expensive business suit he wore.

  Only one sign was on a conference table in the office. It was carved in granite and highly polished. It read ‘Honesty is not the best policy. It is the only policy.’ The words spoke volumes about the caliber of ethics used in this company.

  Mark Law greeted Jeremy as if he were a visiting dignitary. “Mr. Worth, welcome. Please sit down. I understand you came to discuss Blake Kudrow. I have forty-five minutes to meet with you. What would you like to discuss?”

  Jeremy took a seat at the conference table glancing briefly at the stone sign. “Mr. Law, I have been working on a eulogy for Blake. You were on a list of names for people I should talk to. Whatever you can tell me would be most appreciated.”

  Mark Law nodded. “Please, call me Mark. I met Blake through the country club we were members of. We got into some great

  philosophical conversations. He really was a great man with an amazing mind.

  The topic I remember most was about recognizing the real thing, distinguishing the genuine article from one that falls short or is a fraud. You see, things are not always as they appear. Things can be easily misrepresented as something they are not.

  It is easy to disbelieve things. Any fool can claim that things are false or not as they seem. With that in mind, how does a man determine what is genuine. Doing that takes wisdom. A wise person must recognize truth. Distinguish that truth like a diamond in the rough. Pick it from all of the misrepresentations while not allowing past negativity to discolor intellect and judgment.

  Many people are just plain negative. They profess that all is false in an attempt to display some mock worldly wisdom. They are not the genuine article eithe
r.

  Blake and I discussed the elements to this determination. There was no simple formula. A person had to use different facets of intelligence, many different experiences, intellect and even a strong sense of virtue.

  People make claims all the time. A person can be accused of breaking the law and claim he is innocent. A person can claim past business successes, accomplishments, experiences, earning, knowledge, abilities, even places they have been to.

  Truth is essential in recognizing truth in others. There are exceptions of course. But, if a person never tells the truth or is not true to themselves, they will think everything a lie.

  Trust is essential too. But, trust should be extended like the use of credit. Dispatch it slowly at first until a track record is accomplished.

  Wisdom helps too. A wise person will weigh claims with judgment. They will analyze facts in the claims to check for chronological, financial, or intelligent assessment.

  Intuition comes into play as well. Strong feelings one way or another can guide decision making. That gut feeling should be listened to when it kicks in while a person is making a statement.

  Interactions over time will also show if something is genuine or not. Knowing how to tell the difference will benefit you through life.

  Blake had that ability. He could sift through statements and filter the truth from delusion. In my opinion, Blake was a wise man.

  He was swift with justice too. Blake had almost a Robin Hood syndrome. He would look out for the under dog. He would take the time to right any wrongs that had been done.

  His sense ofjustice was commendable. Even I tried to model myself after him. He would remain open to all sides in a situation until all known facts were shared. He was impartial and fair.

  Blake was sought out many times for his wisdom and judgment. Even I trusted him and sought out his confidential counsel. He was one person who could be trusted. He was the genuine article... the real thing.

  Some of the successes I have enjoyed were the results of wisdom and advice that Blake gave me. There is no one who can challenge the results of his decisions.

  My life is definitely better for knowing Blake. He improved the lives of many people. He was down-to-earth too. No one had any idea how much wealth that Blake had accumulated in his lifetime.”

  Jeremy raised an eyebrow. “Wealth?”

  Mark nodded. “Yes. Wealth comes in many forms. Blake had wealth in the traditional sense. He had it in other ways too. He had a wealth of friends, knowledge, wisdom, experiences and in the way that he thought.

  As for the money, he had plenty. Actually he cared little for it. I remember him saying that money only mattered to people who did not have it. He said his life was more complex because of it.

  Money keeps the bills paid, buys the necessities of life and is what we spend a good portion of our life working for. In essence, we are willing slaves to the acquisition of it.

  After money is acquired, we have the essentials taken care of and maybe a luxury or two. The excess is locked away as our prisoner in some financial institution supposedly for the purpose of earning more.

  That money really serves no purpose unless it can be used in some way. Blake believed in making the world a better place. He would use some of his excesses of wealth to make people’s lives better.

  He used some of his wealth to help people get started in business. Those businesses would help the people as well as contribute to a stronger economy.

  Blake Kudrow also had a wealth of loyal friends. They would do anything for him. Some of his friends were people that he met in different places. Some were people he helped at one time or another.

  Those people aspired to have his qualities. Blake always treated them as equals, and they were. Although many of them were like myself. He was a personal role model to me.

  Blake taught me the truth about wealth, at least his in-depth knowledge of it. Of course, I was a willing student. I was surprised to hear that most people cannot handle wealth. Lottery winners are usually worse off only a couple of years after winning. Many regret winning.

  Even wealthy people can lose their money ending up in a life of poverty. I have also heard it said that they could take all of the money in the world and evenly distribute it among all the people on the planet. In a short time, it would end up back with five percent of the population.

  Somehow, money changes people. For the most part it magnifies the negative aspects and does very little to improve their humanitarian aspects. Money turns most people into worldlings caring only about material things.

  It does take a strong person to acquire money and not have it change them for the worse, especially when a significant part of their life has been dedicated to earning it. What happens when there is nothing left to work for? Believe it or not, that striving was more important than obtaining the financial wealth objective.

  Of course, there are those who would argue, especially people who are financially destitute. But, every self made wealthy person looks back on the struggles as the best part of their lives. The hard times made the good times.

  A good portion of those who are lacking wealth are deluding themselves. They do nothing to improve their situation and expect different results financially from the same behaviors. Yet somehow, it is bad luck when nothing changes.

  There is a way to start moving away from a position of financial wanting though. Blake once told a young man that what he did from eight in the morning until five in the evening was for his employer. It was the things he did for himself after that time that got him ahead in life.

  As for those who are afraid to try, you cannot be afraid to go out on a limb. That is where the fruit is.”

  Mark Law smiled as if he had shared a wealth of information. His forty five minutes had passed. A group of people had gathered outside the door waiting for a meeting.

  Jeremy thanked him and returned to his car. He sat in the parking lot writing in his journal. Many thoughts were in his head. He did his best to capture all of them. The journal was quite full, but he felt as if something was still missing.

  Chapter

  Twenty-Five

  Jeremy thumbed back through his journal reading entries ensuring that his work was complete. He thought back over each meeting he had. One stood out as still incomplete. Thinking there was no time like the present, he drove back to the firehouse.

  Will Strong greeted Jeremy as a friend. Jeremy was led back to the same table as before. “Jeremy, I am glad you came back. How is the eulogy coming?”

  Jeremy felt as if his work so far had been monumental. In fact, it had, at least for him. He felt as if the last few days had awakened him from a long time sleep. “Almost done, Will. Just simply following up on one or two loose ends. Can you tell me anything else about Blake?”

  He watched Will nod and then lean back in the chair. “Well, alright. Blake always struck me as a boy scout from way back. He always seemed prepared as if leadership were a part of him.

  And, Blake was good at it. He was not overbearing or bossy. People like helping him. They followed him because they wanted to. Everyone always knew their part in the big picture. He made them feel important because of their contribution. That is what I heard from those who worked with him on the awards ceremony.

  He talked with me some that night too. I would have followed the man too. He had a quality about him that was admirable. You just wanted to be like the guy.

  That night we spoke about value. He told me a memory of his from

  youth. Blake was about ten years old swimming with friends at the local

  swimming hole. He said there was a rope swing tied up in one of the tall branches.

  A friend of his... his best friend, swung out but did not let go in time. The rope began to swing back when his friend awkwardly fell off, landing in the water on his side.

  His friend did not come right back up as he should have. Blake told me how he jumped in and swam to his buddy. The friend had broken an arm badly during t
he fall by landing in too shallow of water.

  Blake told me how scared he was. He almost froze with indecision, but he took action anyway. I thought it was pretty brave for a little kid to do something like that, except he used it as an example comparing a valiant deed of his own. I expected him to somehow find a way to show his deed superior to the one I had been awarded for. But, Blake told me that experience of his taught him what bravery was. He then said I was the bravest man he had ever met.

  A compliment like that could almost go to your head. I did not let it do that, but it was the best compliment I had ever received. His words were genuine and from the heart. That was the kind of guy Blake was. That is why people would follow him anywhere.”

  Will Strong talked with Jeremy at length on the subjects of leadership and bravery. Most often the statements made him realize that it was common people who rose to greatness during times when situations called for it.

  “People do not preplan to lead or to take action during adversity. For the most times, people did what had to be done. They took action out of circumstance because it was the only option.

  Consequences of not taking action would lead to disastrous results. People of greatness do not plan to be that way. They do great things

  when it is needed. A lot of great people will stay on the side lines watching events occur as if they were merely spectators at someone else’s event.

  That does not make them bad people, nor does it make them leaders. By definition, a leader is one who leads. Generally speaking, people freeze up like a deer in headlights. But, when someone faces the situation stepping past their own thoughts and fears know the taste of valor and leadership.”

  Jeremy was glad that he had made the second trip back to see Will Strong. He gained more insights into Blake Kudrow and added more pages of notes into the journal. He reviewed the pages before deciding there was only one stop left before he was done.