Chronicles of the Living

Chapter 11

    
    "Your back to work? How does that feel?" Dr Richfield looks at me. He pushes his thin glasses back awaiting my response.

    "I'm happy to be working again. I was getting bored hanging around the house all the time"

    "That's good, you like having a purpose."

    "If dusting shelves is a purpose, then yeah I suppose so." I shot him a half hearted smile. I don't really think the antique store is a purpose in life. It's more like something to pass the time and pay the bills.

     "Anything that feels fulfilling to you can be a purpose. It doesn't have to be extraordinary, or even very exciting to be fulfilling."

     "I guess so, I still think I could do more with my life than working there."

     "What else would you like to do?" He stares at me intently, seemingly genuinely interested in what I want for myself.

     "I don't really know, I haven't thought much about it."

     "Well you should start thinking. It's your life, your story, you can make it whatever you want it to be."

     "I think... I think I wanna do something meaningful, something that lasts after I'm gone."

     "What might that be?"

     "I don't know. I don't want to be rich or famous or anything like that. I just don't want to be forgotten."

     "Who do you want to remember you?"

     "Anyone really. I don't care how many people remember me just that some do. That I won't just fade away after everything."

     "You think your friends will forget you?"

     "I don't know. I hope they don't but I haven't done much to remember."

     "I think they will. I think that they will remember you, for you. They will remember having you around, they don't have to remember you for what you do." He tried to reassure me but it confuses me more than anything. I don't understand what he means by that. We all remember people for what they do. Everyone is remembered based off what they did in life. No one is remembered for simply existing.

    "I don't think that's true. I think it's what we do that is remembered. In the long run people remember us based off of the effect we had on their life. If you have little effect and simply exist in their life, why would they remember you?" When I say this he folds his hands in front of him and leans forward.

     "Will you remember me? I'm much older than you surely you will outlive me. So after I'm no longer your doctor, and after I've died. Will you remember me?" I'm not entirely sure why he asked this. I don't know if he is trying to make a point or if he's actually asking.

     "I think I would, I'm not sure."

     "But I have had little effect on your life. I'm your doctor but I don't directly effect your life outside of these sessions."

     "But you've helped me, that's an effect."

     "What do you think is a big enough effect for someone to remember you?"

     "I don't really know, I think you'd have to do more than just exist."

     "You do more than just simply exist don't you? You've told me you've been spending time with your friends and their kids. Don't you think spending time with them has an effect?"

     "I hope it does."

     "It does Thomas, people don't just remember you for what you've done for them. They also remember you for who you are. You don't have to do memorable things if you are a memorable person."