This year at leadership retreat us band kids participated in a little goal making activity, in which we wrote our own obituary. It was a strange idea at first, but if you think about it, it really helps you understand what you want out of life. So without further ado, here's mine.
Tanner Holm, age 75, was assassinated yesterday, on April the 9th, in his favorite restaurant, while conversing with his friends and colleagues. His assassination was based on prejuidices concerning his radical philosophical views, his landmark advances in international peace, and his hair color.
Mr. Holm began one of his many careers in his college years, as he became at an early age the best surgeon in the west coast, saving many lives and improving countless surgical techniques. However, his greatest medical feat was marked in history as the day he reversed paralysis, giving hope to millions with his new surgery. Tanner retired from the medical field at the age of 54, to take a shot at his real passion as a writer.
Having written many books describing his faith and its perfect reconciliation with science and reason, and after dominating the best seller list for over 6 years with his philisophical views, Tanner took a risky dive into politics, but not necessarily in the way you would expect. Without holding any office of any sort, Tanner became one of the most influential men in the world, by giving council to national leaders from several different countries discerning peace and foreign policy, all the while calling it his "good turn daily" because his council came completely free of charge. This great display of charity led to his winning the Nobel prize, on the account of his great peacemaking.
He was shot in the chest, after seeing his killer approach with the weapon. However, as his colleagues report, "there wasn't an ounce of fear in that man, and he died with a smile on his face." His wife had only one thing to say, "He did it, he made into the history books, that's all he wanted." His closest friend also mentioned that "his last words to us were, good luck." And with that, he was gone.
He is surpassed by his wife and children, and all of those who benefited from his monumental and historical feats. His funeral is to be held on April 16th, and is to be an informal gathering, based upon his request.
And that's how I go. You should try it, it's quite the paradigm shift.
