Claire has just been watching Coco again. The story revolves around the belief that you don’t finally die until the last person alive forgets you. We visited the Tutankhamun exhibition at the Saatchi Gallery in London in 2020. I think it was there that I read that the Egyptians believed that we die twice, once when we die, and finally when the last person speaks our name. We leave a legacy in our wake, the stories that friends or family tell about us.
I don’t believe in ghosts, or souls. I can see no mechanism for them, nor purpose. But legacy is a different thing altogether. The legacies of Archimedes, Pythagoras, Newton, Pasteur, Fleming, Mozart, and far too many more to list, are a worthy legacy, a force for good. Leaving legacy to word of mouth is a gamble. Those I have listed left their legacies on tablets, papyrus and paper.
It seems that my legacy will be the Sir Anthony Standen Adventures. I am pleased to be able to keep the story of my ancestor, the Elizabethan spy who provided detailed intelligence of the Spanish Armada to Francis Walsingham, alive.
Books entertain and / or educate. Useful legacies are a force for good. We remember the name of Adolph Hitler. I hope his legacy is that humanity will be reminded never to let his story be repeated. I do believe that any good story should be both entertaining and educational. I try my best with my books. My latest book, Called to Account, featured anti-semitism in particular, and racism in general as its theme. I believe there should be truth in writing. It’s a pity when stories are invented, simply to sell newspapers. They should convey news, sometimes entertain, and educate, but should always be accurate and truthful.