Legacy Issue

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SynerVision Leadership.org I 17
teachers, Mrs. Anderson and Mrs. Sharp.
Knowing his tragic background, Mrs.
Anderson frequently remarked upon his
drawings and would regularly make a point
of holding up his drawings and praising his
artwork in front of the class. In third grade,
Mrs. Sharp supported his efforts, as well.
“I strongly believe it was the validation from
these great teachers that propelled me to
become the artist I am today,” Gary says. “It
was the influence of these teachers—and of
my mother—who set within me the idea that
the work we do,and the greatest achievements
we make are for the benefit of others. They
instilled in me the idea of leaving as much of
a positive legacy for others as I possibly can.”
Interestingly, the path from tragedy to
wisdom and caring moves far too often in
the opposite way. In 1984, in the aftermath
of the mass shooting of 21 people in San
Ysidro, California, one of Gary’s coworkers,
while listening to the news reports, turned in
surprise and said, “Gary, that could have been
you.”
How could this have been Gary? The
perpetrator, James Oliver Huberty, had
endured a tragic childhood marked with
crippling illness from polio, and was later
abandoned by his mother. Embittered, he
grew up to become a domestic abuser, grew
increasingly violent and began stockpiling
ammunition and guns. After his crime, the
wife who had endured his violent behavior
blamed his actions on everything from an
unhealthy diet to the toxic fumes he’d inhaled
in a prior welding career.
But for Gary, the meaning of situations like
this one is clear: in cases of extreme tragedy, a
person must make the fundamental decision
as to whether to look inward and find a way to
make good of the situation (as Frankl did) or
to become embittered and cold.The influence
of others who inspire is vital in the process
of choosing to turn painful experiences to
good. And ultimately, the desire to use one’s
experience and learning to help others, rather
than to enrich oneself, is where the greatest
possibility occurs—the chance to enrich and
influence thousands or millions of others for
good.
As we talked,Gary was reminded of a favorite
image: the legendary Phoenix, injured and
dying, that only through the experience of
its suffering is able to achieve its destiny of
arising from the ashes, empowered to spread
its influence to others for generations to
come.This is the way a legend is born.
Cheryl Snapp Conner, award-winning journalist
and content expert, is founder of SnappConner PR,
developer of the Content University program for helping
entrepreneurs and executives learn to excel in thought
leadership. To learn more
about the Statue of Responsibility, visit the Responsibility
Foundation at .
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