If like me, you have the time and inclination to listen to podcasts, then S-Town must rate as one of the most interesting recent offerings from the creators of Serial and Chicago Public Media’s This American Life. To date, Serial has been downloaded over 250 million times and by all accounts, S-Town is likely to be a winner too!
Time takes all but memories
The program, comprising seven interwoven segments is jammed with a great deal of content made up of interviews, narrative, opinion and commentary. In some respects, the show, for me at least, is a weird kind of caricature of mankind and the world in which we live. The website also makes an interesting multimedia accompaniment. I particularly like the music.
Focused on a talented middle-aged horologist and surveyor of life, John B. McLemore his life and times and the world in which he lives. Many parts of the series are filled with various kinds of emotional torture. Although the website contains transcripts, as the producers say “S-Town is produced for the ear and designed to be heard“. Listen, before you read!
What I really appreciated about this series was the intrigue, the mystery and the tenacity of the producers and in particular principle narrator Brian Reed. I listened to episode one on a road trip and then binge listened to parts two through six on a long haul flight. The series is filled with science, true crime, drama, death and secret treasure. One pervasive theme that threads its way from the start right through to the end of the story is timepieces. Watches and clocks have always fascinated me, and the series includes segments on sundials and astrolabes. That’s about all I will introduce as ‘spoilers’.
I will say that one of the themes that also stands out is the whole question of what it takes to live a remarkable life and whether actually leading a remarkable life is important at all. We can all think about people that have heavily influenced our lives, our thinking and how we lead our lives but how much of that is really remarkable. I would suppose, not that much. There are the makings of a movie in this story.
Looking back at my family tree, for the most part, it is filled with largely unremarkable individuals. No tortured genius, no madcap scientists, inventors, famous politicians, artists or musicians. Even if they were, their fame and notoriety are almost completely lost in the sands of time. There is little evidence that they even existed.
The average industrialized man with 25,000 days on this planet may easily secure only about 4,500 waking hour days of beneficial life.
All that said, how important is it to you as an individual? My own view is that your ability to leave an impact is largely limited to those you live, work and play with on a daily basis. In John B. McLemore’s mind, we only have 4,500 waking hour days of beneficial life. But what does he really mean by even that?
If you never met or knew of an antecedent, that doesn’t quite put their influence on you in the same category as a distant cousin consider this. You exist, after all in some small part, because of them. For those around you though, incredibly, you are actually influencing them daily.
Your children and their children and perhaps your siblings are probably the most heavily influenced by you. Don’t underestimate your colleagues too. There are even those in your social circle and community who know you, by your name and appearance – they are all impacted.
I did nothing good today. I have lost a day
All these people see your demeanour, your behaviour, your attitude, your disposition, values and morals. At the conclusion of your life, whether you like it or not, those are the things by which they will remember you.
So don’t worry too much about being or becoming remarkable. Don’t fret about leading an enviable or famous (or notorious) life. Instead, live as good a life as you can, hold true to your core values, focus on your family and friends and doing right by them. Build a circle of trust and whatever will come to you, will come naturally.
Will it be tedious and brief? Not likely!
The original posting of this article was on LinkedIn
About the author
Clinton Jones has experience in international enterprise technology and business process on four continents and has a focus on integrated enterprise business technologies, business change and business transformation. Clinton also serves as a technical consultant on technology and quality management as it relates to data and process management and governance. In past roles, Clinton has worked for Fortune 500 companies and non-profits across the globe.