Remarkable Impact

Last weekend, my family celebrated my uncle's 60th birthday. By many common standards, he has led an unremarkable life. He's lived his whole life on a farm in a small town in north-central Kansas. Never married, he has worked as a farmer, a teacher, and a county commissioner. No advanced degrees, no great wealth, and no Wikipedia entry.

Yet my uncle is one of the most remarkable people I know.

Over 100 people were at the birthday party. That's about 2.5% of the population of the county he has invested his life in. If 2.5% doesn't sound like much, consider what percentage of your county would turn out for your birthday party. I know I'd be far from 2.5%.

So what does it mean to be remarkable, then? Is it a job, education, fame, or a bank account? Perhaps those things count somewhat. Perhaps another measure is the impact we have on the people we encounter, and the relationships we form. A mist affects many of the people in my life more than I do. What if I started caring less about my stats, and more about my relationships? Maybe I, too, can aspire to 2.5%.

So Happy Birthday, AlJoe. Thanks for 60 truly remarkable years.