Legacy

I have been waiting to write this blog post until things were 100% official….April 24, 2023, things were made it official—Aaron Rodgers was traded to the New York Jets. The whole situation has been a shitshow from the beginning to now. I have gone through a mix of emotions. I hate that he stated he was going to be his own man and follow his own path, yet he is following the same path as Brett Favre, down to his last throw at Lambeau (though Favre did play better his last season in Green Bay). It makes me sad to see him in a different jersey, though the transition is made easier by a return to his college number. I feel angry (current emotion) by his first conference to his new team—he was petty (towards management), insulting towards the fans who cheered for him for years, and passive aggressive towards sports fans in general (which he has been for years—I have noticed people who claim to be enlightened often speak to others passive-aggressively and try to manipulate the situation into something that benefits them).  

In recent years, I have grown increasingly frustrated (I don’t know if that’s the right word—annoyed, irritated, etc.–OVER it) by the Rodgers/Packers drama. I honestly don’t generally care what players do in their personal lives (unless they murder someone) because it doesn’t impact their playing life. We all live our own lives, and you sure as Hell better believe no one is going to tell me how to live mine. So, he believes in healing crystals and meditation and darkness retreats—WHO CARES?!?–and why should you? I have a set of healing crystals I carry with me, and I believe in meditation. There is a common misconception about meditation—I don’t believe people understand meditation can take place anywhere, and while you are doing other things. I often meditate while I walk. I would do a reclusive retreat, but in light. I need light. BUT, the indecision did impact my life. Who was going to be the QB? Who would I be cheering for? Should I buy tickets to go see him play against KC? For me, the way the entire “divorce” happened was embarrassing. I understand there comes a time when the team is ready to move on, but the player is not, so they must separate. However, in this case, Rodgers’ words and actions aren’t aligning, and I feel he lied to his fans. I have lost a lot of respect for him. How can you be 90% retired but committed to 2 more years of playing? His actions are deliberate and calculated—I get it, I am a Sagittarius, too. I just don’t get it…. I believe at 39 he doesn’t know who he is, and he is searching for what will fulfill him.  

In my opinion there should be an incentive for players to play with the team that drafted them for the entirety of their career…maybe early entrance into the Hall of Fame or a monetary bonus. Yes, I understand this isn’t truly feasible, but a girl can dream, can’t she?  

The whole thing seems scripted to me.. Like why do I need to know every step he takes now that he’s a Jet? Social media never posted pictures of him at sports events in Wisconsin, but they are in NY. Why are there posts he’s at practice, reiterating he wasn’t at practice in GB? Why do we need to keep asking staff on both teams about him? I JUST DON” T GET WHAT’S THE FASCINATION?  What is it supposed to be a distraction from? I don’t feel it was this bad with Favre, though there was no social media back then. Well, not to the extent we have it now. I also don’t feel it was this bad when Tom Brady switched teams. Maybe it was because he was a FA. I don’t know. I don’t get any of it. I am about to leave social media, so I don’t have to see it all the time. I’m not looking for it, but it’s everywhere. And it’s already old. 

 Does it really impact my life? NO. Not one bit. I wish I didn’t care about sports—and I have tried not to—but I do. So, in my mind, Aaron Rodgers’ legacy, albeit a complicated one—is #12 with the Packers, and maybe in a few years’ time I will be able to move past my hurt football feelings. What he does with his new number, new look (he looked like a preppy middle schooler), and new team has no relevance on my fandom. I wish him luck, but my football intuition (which isn’t often wrong) feels he is not going to be successful, and he will regret his decision. Truthfully, I hope we suck, and they suck, so no one “wins” the divorce. Because my football intuition is also telling me that we aren’t going to be great either. 

The good news for me is I also cheer for the Kansas City Chiefs, and I truly believe the organization and Patrick Mahomes will find a way for Mahomes to stay in KC for the duration of his career. And he has already cemented himself as one of the greatest players of all time. He is a lot easier to cheer for because he is a team player, and he’s humble. It’s hard to cheer for a guy like Rodgers because even though he is SUPER TALENTED, he’s about himself and the money—which is why we could never win a Championship—when you take all the $, the talent can’t be brought to you. As much as I hate to say it, that’s why Tom Brady was successful: he took pay cuts, so that his team(s) could build talent around him.  It seems to me more people have the Rodgers’ mentality than the Mahomes/Brady mentality—it’s all about getting paid, even if it costs the team.  

On another note of legacy, I also watched the Carol Burnett Special. She turned 90 this week. I can’t imagine living that many years. As I was watching, I was thinking how weird it was for her to be sitting watching people talking about her and her life in front of her. She probably didn’t intend to be a trailblazer in comedy, but that’s who she is. On April 26, 2003 she told People she wanted her legacy to be: “I made people laugh, made them feel good when they might have been down.” She truly has done that—watching her, her comedy is timeless. But she is more than just a comedienne—she’s a good person. She’s beloved and caring—her legacy is laughter and love.  

I did a little research on Burnett and her life—I have watched her since I was a child, my mom always loved her, so I grew up watching her variety show and of course, Annie because I related to Annie’s red hair and the family you make your own—and she’s still busy. She’s actively acting in TV and movies. She’s living in the present, not at what she did. She says she doesn’t watch her iconic show unless she has to for some reason. For me, her legacy is her life. She has made people laugh; she’s loved for the care she gives people; she works hard; she’s someone I want to be like. Her life hasn’t always been easy, but she’s faced it all. To me, living 90 years is a legacy in itself—can you imagine all the things someone who has lived 90 years has seen? The best part is I can watch her entire show on Amazon Prime, albeit with ads. 

Legacy is really an interesting concept because it’s really how people see you, and have you lived your life. Most of the time, we don’t look at someone’s legacy until after they have passed on. But, I am part of my Granma Teri’s legacy because I am her namesake. I am Morgan Laine because she was Teresa Elaine Morgan, and she is part of me, and I am part of my mom. My mom always says “she nicknamed you sunshine for a reason,” even though lately I don’t feel like anyone’s sunshine. I am working on being better about that. Recently, someone has been badmouthing me and my name. It’s irritating because the person I am being portrayed as is not who I am. I know I am, but it’s frustrating knowing other people believe the opposite.  

Legacy is about the richness of a person’s life, including what was accomplished during that life, and what impact that person has on other people or places. Truthfully, legacy is complicated. Your legacy is your life. I think we all think/reflect on our legacy at some time in our life—what impact do we/will we make on other people’s lives, on the world? Our legacy isn’t the trophies or award they win, though they recognize our accomplishments, but we don’t get awards for overcoming hardship, excelling at leadership, and making people’s lives better in little ways. The things a person does and achieves throughout a lifetime form a powerful legacy that others will remember about them. As I said before, our parents and grandparents influence our lives. Even though my grandma died when I was 19, I want to make her proud. I often think of how my actions reflect on her name. There is a Dierks Bentley song (which is one of my favorites), which reflects on the power of legacy. My Last Name states: “Daddy always told me far back as I recall/ Son you’re part of somethin’, you represent us all/ So keep it how you got it, as solid as it came / It’s my last name / Passed down from generations too far back to trace/ I can see all my relations when I look into my face / May never make it famous, but I’ll never bring it shame / It’s my last name…” Indeed, we are part of something bigger than ourselves.  

Dierks Bentley – My Last Name (Official Music Video) – YouTube

Everyone impacts and influences other people in some way—whether good or bad—including our friends, our acquaintances, people we casually meet, coworkers, and neighbors. We can also impact the larger community through work in our hometowns or organizations which impact the larger community. When I went to school to get my Doctorate, I chose Public Policy because I wanted to help other people through my education and skills. 

The good works/deeds a person does throughout their life can establish a legacy of kindness, generosity, and social awareness/responsibility. Good works can establish a positive legacy that helps others live better lives and reflects positively for those who are witnessing the good acts. This makes me think of the movie Pay It Forward. In the movie Trevor McKinney begins the seventh grade. His social studies teacher, Eugene Simonet, assigns the class to put into action a plan that will change the world for the better. Trevor calls his plan “pay it forward”, which means the recipient of a favor does a favor for three others rather than paying it back. However, it needs to be a favor that the recipient cannot complete themselves. It’s a movie I would suggest everyone watch—it’s impact is timeless. Leave a legacy of kindness by volunteering, charitably giving, and leaving your mark on the world. Sharing your time, energy, talent, and expertise with others can lead to a legacy of sharing your resources to positively impact others for the greater good of everyone. For example, teachers and others who go above and beyond when it comes to sharing their expertise in service of others often have awards or scholarship programs established in their names. 

Our legacy can also be monetary. You can leave behind land or inheritance. For example, my grandpa left my dad money when he passed away. When I pass away, I have stock in the Green Bay Packers, and it must be passed down to someone in my family. As for mine, I am bequeathing it to my nephew, Cash. Although the certificate is nothing big, it’s something he should cherish because it is part of me, I cared enough to leave behind for him.  

It’s important to note a person’s legacy isn’t always positive. Pete Rose’s legacy as a fantastic legacy is marred by his betting on games—the man will never be allowed into the MLB Hall of Fame because of those actions. Even though he is a literary figure, people remember Scrooge for his bad acts more than his good ones. A person who behaves unethically to get ahead without concern for others will leave behind a very different legacy than a person who lives a good life, characterized by high moral standards and concern for others. Everything we do in life creates the overall mark we’ll leave when we’re gone from this life. When making choices between right and wrong, a person who chooses to do what is right is forming a positive legacy while those who make decisions that are unethical or otherwise wrong are laying the groundwork for a negative legacy. 

Legacy is about life and living. It’s about learning from the past, living in the present, and building for the future. Legacy is fundamental to what it is to be human. Research shows that without a sense of working to create a legacy, adults lose meaning in their life. Exploring the idea of legacy offers a glimpse not only into human relationships and building strong communities, but also the human spirit. Leaving a legacy is a human need. It’s part selfish—about us, but at the same time, it’s about how we can impact others. It’s all connected. For both young and old, the power of legacy enables us to live fully in the present. You understand that you are part of a larger community, a community that must remember its history to build its future. There is caring combined with conscience. There is also wisdom to be found in each other – linking action and reflection to deal with complex problems. 
 
Legacy is very much about life and living. What legacy will you leave? What are you doing to create that legacy? 

Here are some additional resources on legacy: 

What is a Legacy and Why Should You Think about Yours? (myfarewelling.com) 

What is the Meaning of Legacy? • Mike Rucker, Ph.D. (michaelrucker.com) 

What Is Your Legacy? | HuffPost Life 

Five Essentials to Leaving a Legacy that Will Outlive You – FamilyLife® 

The Real Reason Why You Should Focus on Leaving a Legacy (startgainingmomentum.com) 

***THERE IS SO MUCH MORE ON GOOGLE. TOO MUCH TO SHARE