BUILDING LEGACIES

BY WALLACE CALEB BATES

Today, an aged community college building gave me pause. At once, it felt like it remembered all of the people who had been there in its 200-plus years, quietly holding their presence in the walls.

One of my tasks today was helping the college library expand its search for missing yearbooks through public outreach. We are hoping to locate copies that may still be out there, stored in someone’s home or tucked away in a forgotten box. 

As I thought about those yearbooks, I realized they are more than just printed pages. They are evidence of lives lived here, of laughter, hard work, friendship, and growth. Each missing book holds part of the story this place tells.

My presence in the building reminded me that history is not just something from the past. It is still being made. We build our legacy not through fame or power but through daily choices: the way we treat others, the time we give, and the care we show. 

These things stay. And long after we are gone, someone else will walk these same halls and feel it, too. 

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