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Legacy

Photo by: Tim Bindner Photography

Today’s blog is about legacy, how it is defined, how I define it and what my legacy will ultimately be (at least I hope).

Webster defines legacy as “something transmitted by or received from an ancestor or predecessor or the past.” A generic definition at best, but partly aligns with my feelings toward my legacy. More on that in a moment.

Last week my wife’s grandfather passed away. He died a day before his 96th birthday. Worth repeating 96 years old. Wow. His obituary stated “Mr. Baker was preceded by his wife of 56 years, Flora Baker. He is survived by his children, Susan Tackett (Steve), Martha Wilson, John Baker, Barbara Cramer (Frank) and Joe Baker (Dianna); 16 grandchildren, 25 great-grandchildren, five great-great-grandchildren; and four sisters, Ruth Shock, Betty Jean Jackson, Mary Margaret McCall and Esther Hendricks (Larry).”

This event got me thinking about his legacy. Was it the fact he had many brothers and sisters, five kids or countless grandchildren/great-grandchildren or even great-great-grandchildren? For me, that is an honorable feat, but in my humble opinion has nothing to do with legacy. Mr. Baker or as everyone called him Pop was a retired Army veteran who served in the war, he also retired from the United States Postal Department. He had a loving wife and raised children with good morals and ethics. Those are a small part of the legacy he left.

I am always questioning my mortality. I have had a few recent things bring my legacy to the forefront of my mind. What can I provide, what can I leave for Marcie and Gavin? What is my purpose here on earth? What do I want to be remembered for?

As mentioned in a previous post I completed Prince’s latest book called The Beautiful Ones which had his legacy interwoven within its pages. The passing of Pop stirred those thoughts up as well. I also recently received an email from a friend Miranda Remington who in part wrote to me “Legacy, Tim. Whenever things get confusing, focus on that. What will my legacy be? What do I want it to be? The answers will become SO clear. And the more you walk towards your legacy, the more you are in the orbit with people who will get you there, the more comfortable you will be with change. But not all people are there for the entire ride. Because the changes that come into your life, the people that will be there for you, will be there for a reason, a season or a lifetime. Not ALL can be lifetime friends. And that’s OK.”

I will not have the lineage that Pop does, but I do have a wonderful son. I have a wonderful wife, but that is not my legacy. My legacy at this moment, of 51 years of age, is this blog and my photographs. Neither are particularly opulent but they are full of love, honesty, and passion. When I shoot and specifically when I write it comes from my heart and soul. I write and shoot for me, but always take great solace in knowing others enjoy my reading and in at least one case I help a parent of a teenager battling many of the same afflictions I do.

My words will never truly express how I feel inside, and they are often ramblings of a middle-aged man just trying to figure out how he fits in this world, but they are my own and they are genuine. My photographs, like my words, will never truly capture exactly what I see but I do strive to convey those “1000 words” each picture I take is worth.

I do not know what the future holds or even how long I will be on this earth, but I think more and more about the legacy I can leave behind for Gavin. I hope he can read these posts someday with an open and loving heart, and know and read about how proud of him I am and that I love him unconditionally. I hope he can return the rock to my favorite place in North Carolina, possibly with me and my wife by his side. I hope my pictures live on long after I am gone, and that someone will find the joy in viewing them as much as I did taking them. That maybe a few framed photos I took will end up on walls of people I know. I hope to pass my camera down to Gavin and possibly even his kids. I even entertained the idea of writing a photo book but have not come up with a theme yet.

This is my idea of legacy. It has nothing to do with where I work, job titles I achieved, where I go to church, what I drive, where I live, how I volunteer. Everyone is worried about ‘keeping up with the Joneses’, striving for that perfect body, only showing the good side, making all the money and reaching that societal status that truly means nothing.

Life is about special moments and I am learning to appreciate it. I am vulnerable, I am weak, I am flawed, I have faults, but I am also strong, I have convictions, I think for myself, I don’t bow to society pressure, I have strong beliefs and I am leaving that legacy for my son!

I will leave you with a quote from my favorite movie Field of Dreams written by W.P. Kinsella “We just don’t recognize life’s most significant moments while they’re happening. Back then I thought, “Well, there’ll be other days.” I didn’t realize that that was the only day.”

Until next time,

Tim

P.S. Photo is from one of my recent trips to the woods with a great friend.

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