As always, these are questions I pose for the purpose of discussion, and in hopes that maybe I can stir people's little grey cells into action... even if just for a few moments. 

Some of these ideas can be difficult to put into mere words; a long time ago I made peace with "not-knowing" a lot of things. Not that I am not *curious,* nor that I don't enjoy these discussions and explorations... but I have no fear of death itself. I believe it is entirely possible that there might be some kind of afterlife or "otherlife" given how many people ponder this and describe not dissimilar near-death experiences. I would also-- at least for me-- submit that whatever "it" might be, it will undoubtedly be far more spectacular and amazing than our current capacity to describe and imagine it. I am also prepared for the eventuality that the lights simply go out one day.... period. 

I totally agree that "legacies" are just fool's errand and game played by the ego. I'm more inclined to agree with an elderly friend of my late stepfather's who once passed a piece of wisdom to me: *"Shrouds have no pockets."* In fact, he told me this when I was 15, and it has always stuck. Some, though, seem to believe that somehow they can gain some version of continuing (eternal?) life by erecting (symbolic) monuments to themselves, to be remembered by. I ponder this, sometimes, and consider the fact that I-- and most people I know-- are more likely to look at statues and sculptures created as objects of beauty than sculptures of famous/important and "great" people.