Monday, July 22, 2013

Legacy of a Cracked Vessel

The highway of life has forever presented mankind various opportunities to lead abundant lives. Marriages, childbirth, new jobs, and fruitful relationships are a few examples of how humans make the best of this life. Moreover, the ways in which we utilize the time between womb and tomb is imperative to how we will be remembered when it's all said and done. For several years now, I have been obsessed with my very own death and more specifically, my lasting legacy.

How will I be remembered? How will I be eulogized? That may seem imbecilic, but I have felt for many years that I won't live long on this Earth, therefore, I must be prepared for that great Day of Judgment that no man can escape. 

At my funeral, I have just one request and since it is my funeral, I would assume this small request would be granted. As I lay peacefully in my wooden casket with draped in the most fashionable garb, I want Martin King’s Drum Major Instinct played over the loudspeakers. This sermon is the very reason I began to ponder over my last days. It brought me into a new world of deep, social consciousness; therefore, it would only be right for it to usher me out. The Eulogizer will have an easy task sending me out. They won’t have to read off my vast list of accomplishments, degrees, and awards. Any mention of personal accolades or any mode of self-aggrandizement will not be permitted. I do not want to be remembered in such a manner. I want the world to say that Damien Thaddeus was a deep thinker, loved his neighbors and enemies unconditionally, and served mankind in a radical manner. That’s what the eulogy will read. That’s what my life’s work will say.

I want the record to show that I used my intellectual abilities to advance the conversation on social ills and help alleviate suffering in impoverished communities. As I travel this long and winding road of servant leadership, I pray that I can use the bully pulpit of public life to speak out against massive injustices in America and around the globe. I want the record to reflect that I wrote books, essays, and gave speeches/lectures on how to improve the lives of the poor and destitute. In my academic endeavors, there is no doubt I, like many others, “want to be important, to surpass others, to achieve distinction, to lead the parade” (King), but the record must reflect an insatiable desire to inspire, gain paideia, and serve in order to aid the least of these.

Whenever I release that final breath, I hope those that knew me understand I had “a soul generated by love” (King). I pray my actions and behaviors bled with agape love, the same type of love that Palestinian Jew named Jesus exhibited during his purposeful trek on Earth. When professional colleagues slandered my name or my work, I turned the other cheek. When naysayers unfairly criticized me, I blessed those who cursed me. My friends, it is a serious challenge loving people who don’t love themselves, but let the record reflect that I pressed on loving my brothers and sisters no matter the conditions. I want the world to understand that my deep and abiding love was consistent and not contingent on any feeble circumstance.

When my heart beats for the last time, let the record show I served humanity in a radical fashion. I pray my mode of service inspires others to serve. Everyone can achieve greatness through high quality service. One doesn't have to be on the highest portion of the economic ladder to serve. One doesn't have to have titles before or after the name. My friends, “you only need a heart full of grace, a soul generated by love. And you can be that servant” (King).



The new mantra of modernity is Y.O.L.O. This maxim reminds us in times of fear, confusion, doubt, or indecision that we only live once and one should live well. Within that same vein, we must be reminded that we only die once. Some philosophers would argue that living is essentially learning how to die. Others would assert that one's death invigorates life in others via deep inspiration. On my day of expiration, brothers and sisters, let the final record reflect that Damien Thaddeus learned how to die through deep love, incredible courage, and authentic service to mankind as a whole. Along that trail of learned finality, I hope I inspire a soul or two. Then, my living or dying would not have been in vain.

Contact Damien Thaddeus: 
Activist, Blogger, Organizer, Public Speaker, Culture Critic, Poltico, Radio Host 
3100 Cleburne St.
Houston, Texas 77004
Cell: (832) 703-9783 
Twitter: @Damien_Thaddeus 
Instagram:@damienthaddeus 

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