Hey Alfred, You're Dead

Have you ever wondered what your obituary will say when you die? Have you ever wondered how others will remember you and your life? What if you could get a sneek peek into the future and see how you will be remembered?

Believe it or not, this is exactly what happened to Alfred Nobel, inventor of Dynamite, the same man that brought you the Nobel Peace Prize. The Swedish inventor also invented blasting caps, smokeless gun powder and hundreds of other explosion related things. Without him, we would have no Wyle E. Coyote and Roadrunner Cartoons.

In any case, on April 13,1888 Mr. Nobel woke up to a most unpleasant discovery on the front page of the morning paper. He was dead! After a quick check of his person (use your imagination, here), he concluded that the paper was mistaken, and later learned that it was his brother Ludwig who had died.
Nonetheless, Mr. Nobel got a glimpse of what people thought of his life. He didn't like what he saw. He was portrayed as a "merchant of death", the man responsible for the arms race of that day. While he had invented things that made high powered explosives easier to use, forging the way for the better of the public good by way of easier construction of things like dams, and tunnels, canals, and roadways, not to mention the boon to the mining industry, the obituary he saw painted him as a killer… a "bellicose monster" whose inventions had served to "boost the bloody art of war from bullets and bayonets to long range explosives."

Nobel was so horrified by this depiction of his life's work, that he decided to devote the rest of his life to changing his image and redeeming his family name. He used his wealth to award cash prizes in several areas, including peace.

In those days it would have been kin to Bill Clinton setting up an award for the boss who least sexually exploited an intern, or Michael Vick setting up an award for people who treat their pets with dignity. Nonetheless, Mr. Nobel pushed on. Nobel prizes are now handed out annually for excellence in Chemistry, Peace, Economics, Literature, Medicine, and Physics and still comes with a hefty cash award. Pretty cool, huh?

Dr. Alfred Nobel succeeded in resurrecting his family name and his own reputation. Good job, Uncle Alfred.

So, what's your life lesson here?

What would you do tomorrow if you woke up to read your own obituary?

I have always said that when I'm dead, I want my head stone to read, "Bill Kirby - He did his damnedest". What else can you say? Here's my advice: "Aim a little lower, don't be so serious all the time, enjoy your life."