We all play our part

“All the world’s a stage and the men and women merely players.  They have their entrances and their exits, and each one in his time plays many parts.” (Revised)

That quote from Shakespeare sums up my thinking as I enter my eighth decade of life.

I’m not a deep thinker.  People far wiser than I have pondered the meaning of life and each one comes out with the same finding.  We all die.  Or, to keep with the stage theme, the curtain always comes down for the final time.

We play our roles – – son, daughter, husband, wife, mother, father.  We are at different stages, the boss, the worker, the smart one, the dumb one.  We enter the scene, sometime with a bang and we leave the scene, sometimes with a whimper.  We enter people lives and we leave peoples lives.  Sometimes we’re the star, sometimes we’re a bit player.

When the final curtain nears and we take our curtain calls – what have we accomplished?

If we’re like some actors and actresses we leave a legacy of professionalism.  We leave a memory that brings enjoyment when others think of us.  Or, we’ve expanded the reach of what a person can accomplish.

But, most of us will be forgotten when all those who knew us also leave the stage.

Sticking with the acting theme – this quote from Robert Penn Warren, author of “All the King’s Men” sums up my view of  my life.

“Make’em cry, make’em laugh or make them think you’re God Almighty.  Or, make’em mad, even mad at you.  Just stir’em up.  It doesn’t matter how or why, and they’ll love you and come back for more.”