Story 46: What would you want to be famous for?

As promised here's another example of the kinds of questions I'm sent by Storyworth.  I almost rejected this one but decided I'd give it a whirl.  I hope you like it. I'm almost done with Volume II of the book.  I have 4 more stories to go to total 50.

Story 46:  What would you want to be famous for?

 

Interesting question this week. Quite frankly I am not in the least bit interested in being famous-or infamous-for anything.  I’m just not comfortable in the limelight. So why did I decide to take this question? Well, as Andy Warhol is said to have quoted, everyone gets 15 minutes of fame so if that’s the case I might as well choose what it’s going to be for, right?

 

I have no athletic skills so I wouldn’t be a famous sports figure.  I can’t sing or act so that’s out.  I’m certainly not a politician so you’ll never be reading or hearing about a Senator or President Stockwell.  Even if I could wiggle my nose and presto I was one of those things, I still wouldn’t want it.  I guess when all is said and done the one thing I’d most want to be famous for is my philanthropy.  Someone like Andrew Carnegie or Warren Buffett or Bill Gates. I would like to be known for using my vast fortune to make the world a better place for others.

 

There is no shortage of ways to spend millions upon millions of dollars for the betterment of humanity.  I would start right here in the United States.  Think about it. Just in the area of health care alone you could wipe out a fortune.  There are so many people who can’t afford the care they need in spite of the government’s insistence that there is a safety net in place to care for those who can’t afford effective health insurance.  Think about the many times you hear about someone who needs a certain medicine or an operation but can’t afford them so they go without.

 

So that’s where I would start.  The only thing is I wouldn’t want my fortune to be the result of harmful acts.  For example when Alfred Nobel invented dynamite it was intended to be for use in the mining industry but it wasn’t long before others figured out you could also use it to make weapons.  And then there are those who used ruthless business practices to the detriment of others to amass their fortunes but later decided to use their money for good causes.  I need my fortune to be the result of intelligent investing or something like that. 

 

So there you have it-philanthropy.  Just remember to spell my name correctly when they put the monument of me next to the Lincoln Memorial.