Enrich the Future - leave a Record of yourself 
By Richard Mc Sweeney
Published in The Avondhu
(Part One - appeared in the 22nd December 2011 issue)

The starry heavens these evenings is very clear and most welcoming to those who would from time to time cast their eyes its way. 

         While the Orion constellation is appearing in the east, and the planets Jupiter, Uranus are in the south, with a half Moon, and Neptune in the southwest, the Ursa Major (The Plough) constellation is questioning Polaris (North Pole). 

         If we want to learn the history of all these wonders of the heavens we have to examine the evidence they have left us about themselves. With the right instrumentation and means of space travel we can go gather information from them and about them which over time can help us to create a picture of how they came to be, and even afford us an opportunity to make a guess as to what might become of them. The greater the number of records they have left for us the easier it will be for us to reach a more comprehensive appreciation of their history. 

         If we want to appreciate the geological history of the Earth; of the island of Ireland, and of the Galtee, Knockmeldown, and Comeragh mountains we need to go and examine the records they have left us. We will then be able to check out the different rock formations, and begin to get a picture of when Earth came into existence; when the island was formed, and how the mountains and valleys came into being. 

         When it comes to the human world, the same principle applies in that if records have been left behind for us we can examine them, and they can tell us something about ourselves. While it might appear at first sight that we have an abundance of records, say on the history of early Christianity, the truth of the matter is we have very little, and that little is itself suspect for it tends to give a one-sided view of how things came to be. It is quite amazing, and even shocking to realise that with all the records that have come down to us, there is not a single written record dating from Jesus' own day telling about himself. It is almost as if he never even existed. Everything we know about him was written and rewritten in the first two to three centuries after his passing. So who founded Christianity; who may we say established the Christian Church? Based on the selected records that have been sent down to us we would have to conclude it was Paul of Tarsus, and not Jesus or the fisherman Peter. 

         When it comes to our own community; the countryside, village, town or city in which we live, records play an essential role in helping us to understand our past, and be a precious gift for future generations. If we don't keep some kind of record of for example the landmarks around us; the houses, walls, roads, fields, valleys, mountains, and the lines of the seashore, how will future generations know anything about them? 

         In its own admirable way, The Avondhu, and many similar local newspapers throughout the country are sending authentic records on up into the future; letting future generations know about the times in which we lived, and how we lived. In other words, such record keepers are confirming for the historians of the future that we actually existed and had made a difference to life in our own humble way.

         If in a family, the older members don't clearly leave some written records of where their own parents came from, and even where they are buried, how will the grandchildren; the descendants be able to establish a link between themselves and their ancestors? If the elderly don't write down or record the stories that they have from their own childhood, and those they heard from their own grandparents then most assuredly such stories will be lost forever. Where no records are left behind the past is blank, and the future greatly impoverished. 

         Back in the summer of 2010, our semi-retired parish priest, Reverend Michael Farrell asked me to do some research on a Reverend Denis O'Donnell who was the parish priest of Tallow from 1812-1830. I spent the entire summer enjoyably following up every lead I could; writing to Maynooth, Rome, and to contacts related to the former Irish Colleges based on the Continent. I even wrote to Newfoundland. And down in the library in Waterford City I went through reel after reel of old newspapers dating from the time, but I could only find four or five sentences on him, and that was to do with his burial. 

         After all my efforts, the only thing that I was able to come up with was his beautiful handwriting in our local Births, Marriages & Deaths records in our church. At the time, and sitting there in the scarcity, I thought to myself how wonderful and convenient it would be if the good father had only taken a few moments to have the foresight to leave even a single page record about himself for someone like me; someone who one hundred and eighty years into the future would be doing some research on him. The writing on people's headstones should not be the only written record of them. 

         As in every period down through the ages we live in days, months, and years of transition. Future generations will know from mainstream media records about the times in which we lived, but they will not be able to know anything about how we were personally viewing the times and dealing with them unless we ourselves leave some record of our own. Remember the media sells what the culture buys, for information has become a commodity item. And we in turn have come to culture ourselves to think by using the information given to us by the media. If the media selects an item then that becomes the viewpoint. The media delights in winding up a bit of controversy, and we with continually consuming it make ourselves subliminally unhealthy; the only sure cure being not to consume it. We are what we eat and so too is our mind. It is alarming how misinformation, disinformation, rumours, and garbled truth has a habit of somehow being carefully stored away for future generations - it seems to be given a life all of its own. 

         We have to move away from letting the media select the messages that are being sent on up to the future. The alternative would be for the media to become what they are meant to be, namely professionals with high ethical standards for themselves, and who would excel at finding out the whole truth rather than merely forever pursuing it. 

(Part Two - appeared in the 5th January 2012 issue)

         Our times must not be presented as a space-filler on the cover of newspapers or as sound bytes on a radio show or a fleeting imagine on a television screen or computer monitor. Whether the media is present or not at an event a story independently still exists. The media's presence doesn't create the story. 

         A very interesting thought appeared on the landscape of my mind the other day. And it was this - what if I were to be living 700 years in the future reincarnated as someone else, and who with discovering some old electronic manuscripts on my present day self, and wanting to write a biography of that self: write an interpretation of how that life was different and significant, how might I go about it? 

         Well the first thing I would need to do is a whole lot of research using the means that would be available to me in the year 2712. I would have to find anything and everything written about him or by him: books, newspapers, magazines, Internet, journals, letters, videos, interviews, existing biographies, or even an autobiography. I would then have to evaluate the credibility of those sources, and the context in which they had been published. For instance, if he had in the summer of a year, say the year 2011 written an article or a letter in a local newspaper such as The Avondhu, I would then need to try and establish the social context in which it was written. If for example, he had sought nomination for President of Ireland in that year, I would need to know who the other candidates were, and why he had felt it was a worthy thing to put himself forth for consideration. What was his campaign platform? 

         I would then need to visit places where he had lived both here in Ireland and around the world. And in those places visit significant and favourite spots where he used like to stroll and contemplate on life's mysteries. For example, places in far away lands such as France, Korea, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Lebanon, Jordan, Italy, Malta, Germany, and many other countries. 

         This would be an excellent way of walking in his footsteps, and trying to imagine what he was looking at, and even thinking about. This would be very helpful for I would then be able to trace some elements in his writings to such and such a spot or place. Of course I would also take many photographs of those places as some of them would be incorporated into the biography. 

         I would need to visit where he was born and grew up. What kind of a family he was born into, and if there were any difficulties or traumas experienced in his early life. Where did he attend primary school, and what was his relationship with his teachers? And also what was his secondary and tertiary level education. I would try to discover where he had worked, and for how long. I would need to see if there were any significantly positive and even negative events in his life that deeply influenced or impacted on him. I would need to discover if he was married, and to whom, and if they had had any children? I would try to find out his descendants. 

         I would need to explore what interested, influenced, and inspired him. What was he most passionate about? Did he have any particular hobbies? Had he ever seen Unidentified Aerial Phenomena?

         I would need to study the time and place of his life. What were the scientific developments of the time? What was the political, and economic situation in the countries where he lived? To what extent did they influence him? What were the state religions in his day? What were the social norms? And of course, I would have to visit his place of burial.

         When I would have all the material gathered, I would then assemble a timeline, and record every event that I considered to be useful for my purposes. I would identify patterns, and phases in his life, and streams of development in his thought. I would focus on turning points in his life. What were the moments in his life when say his direction changed dramatically?

         With the 'big picture' in view I would ask myself what is the significance of his life? How did he change the world? What would happen if he had never been born? What is so unique about his written work, and achievements; particularly those of his elderly years?

         We all need to look at our life, and ask ourselves all kinds of questions about ourselves. Why was I born? Why did I have to experience this and that difficulty in life? What kind of a world do I inhabit? Is it God-centred, Nature-centred, Human-centred, Information-centred or none of the above or perhaps a combination of all and more besides? Where do I go from here? Is there even a going from here? How do I feel about the reality that we are definitely not alone in the Universe?

         To conclude. What records of your life are you leaving for the convenience and pleasure of future researchers who would like to know, learn, and write about you? Are you contented living merely from week to week, month to month, and year to year with just surfacing the Internet, looking at television, and reading the daily newspapers? Is there more you could be doing by way of leaving some word for your children and grandchildren or your nieces and nephews? How will they know about your family roots if you don't tell them or even write something down for them? Leave a record of yourself for future generations. They will greatly appreciate it. Believe me, they truly will. 

::: 

Sunday, 19th February 2012

The following letter was submitted for publication in today's issue of the Sunday Independent. 
The newspaper didn't publish it. 

Reopen the people's embassy in the Vatican

Madam,

How far have we lost touch with our traditional family value of getting along with everyone? I refer to the uncomfortable situation that has been developing between the Irish people and the Vatican. 

We are not two different entities; in fact we are very much of the same family. And as a family we naturally from time to time have had our differences, but we have never stopped talking to each other. Now whether we like it or not we need to be talking to each other. And it is for this reason that our mutually designated meeting place be reopened without further delay. 

Mr. Tánaiste; Dáil Éireann - reopen the people's embassy in the Vatican!

Governments come and go but we the people remain, and we need every opportunity we can to keep in touch with our heritage. The Catholic Church: Christianity is of our heritage. We may have a superfluity of issues with each other, but at the end of the day we are very much who we are because of each other. Diplomatically, we need to be able to help each other get our respective houses in order. 
                                                                                                                                                                    Richard Mc Sweeney

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