Legacy

I was back in my home town this past weekend. It always gets me thinking about the past and future. I took my middle child with me (he is in spectrum and loved the idea of missing a day of school).

We stopped at the Heritage Center to check it out with my father and it was so cool to see he has his own exhibit of sorts there (see above picture). How cool it was to see my father has a permanent place in North Dakota history.

That is a Legacy that most people can't claim. So, obviously my mind started going through all sorts of things about my own life and the lives of my children. What will be our Legacy?

I try and teach my kids that they need to build their bodies and their brains everyday, to look for and find what you love and then to figure out how to make a living doing just that. Now, I know that sometimes we are forced to do things to get by, but in today's age, a hobby can make a person a great living if they are good at it. Times have changed in some ways, but stayed the same in others.

What got my father his own place in ND history was simple, he loved to fly and did just that and became great at it. He was involved in ND aviation for well over half is life. Sure he did all sorts of other things, but is love, passion and drive for aviation are what made his legacy. He found what he loved and worked it, made a great life for his family and became known for his skills.

I am a chiropractor, I spent most of my younger years wanting to become a medical doctor to help other people. I didn't realize I would have been a horrible representation of the medical establishment until I was in college. You see, I spend most of my life quietly wondering how the body worked and why things happened the way they did in the body. Why would my sister get sick and not me? Why did some people have severe acne and others none? Headaches always baffled me (unless I was drinking the night before), why does my head hurt?

The medical model of the stuff above doesn't really ask the WHY questions, for the most part, they just seek to cover it up. I look at the medical profession in general (don't start a fight here, medical does have its place) as just putting something in the body or taking something out. They don't seek to look for the cause of the problem, but rather a solution to the symptom.

I would have been horrible at being a medical doctor, high blood pressure for example, patient "A" comes in for physical, blood pressure is high, for the most part a pill is prescribed for it almost immediately. Me, well, as a medical doctor, I would want to start with diet, exercise, maybe stress reduction for a month or two and see if the blood pressure begins to return to a normal range. Pain, same thing, first look for the cause of the pain, don't just prescribe a pill that numbs the brain so the body doesn't "feel" the pain.

Anyway, back to the point. I don't think I will be memorialized forever like my father, but I help 100's of people each week understand how to find and keep a healthier life by educating them on how the body actually works. I have had several younger ones strive to become chiropractors, helped so many with chronic pain, etc.

I believe my legacy will be in my children, the lessons my father taught me, I unknowingly at times taught them, and will continue to teach them life lessons and to find what they love and pursue that will a passion. I can't see the future, but the next generation of our youth will be an interesting bunch and will change the world forever in one way or another. I want my children to be a part of that with the values and lessons I get to give them.

So, what will your legacy be?