Beyond Legacy

“The reality is that there is a reason why when you think enough about your future you gets chills,” Trent Orange tells me. Trent loves to focus on feelings that can’t be named and ideas that come from a secret source hidden in all of us. Trent is a writer, but he’s also a mentor, a philosopher, and a visionary. When I say visionary, I do mean someone with a vision, whose life’s work revolves around making an impact in other people’s lives. 

“As I got older, [I continued] to understand that it truly is bigger than me. The world will still spin when I’m not here.” For Trent, his legacy isn’t just about him. It’s about what he leaves behind for other people. I think about what I will leave behind as well. That’s probably why Trent and I share such a passion for writing. It lives beyond us and gets carried by those impacted by it. It becomes collective wisdom. I admire Trent for his commitment and seemingly endless passion for his ideals. There’s always another question to be asked, always another wisdom to be shared. It’s free for everyone as far as Trent is concerned. 

“I know the quality of my work is good…that’s why I became so confident being able to say, like, ‘Oh, if I die tomorrow, I’ll be happy knowing that I got students that speak to Trent Orange.’” Trent’s young, but the impact he’s had on those around him cannot be understated. As a facilitator for groups of young black men, he’s built special bonds with boys as young as 7 all the way to men entering college. He knows how to guide them, because he’s been there himself. And when those young men repay him by forging their own path, winning their own battles, and showing gratitude to those that support them, he knows he’s done something right. Our art becomes an extension of ourselves. Trent wants his art to extend well beyond his physical reach and add to a collective wisdom that rises up humanity itself.

For most, it’s a balancing act of ego. A hubris that tells yourself, “I can save the world.” But for Trent, it’s with kindness and vulnerability that he writes and facilitates with. “You can definitely get a bit more vulnerable when you’re just typing it up…you can let it all fly,” he says when I ask him what the power of writing can do over talking. Writing and reflecting is also a humbling and centering experience. “I’m fascinated with understanding why people think the way that they do,” and this includes himself. After talking with Trent, it left me with a few thoughts. Never stop asking yourself questions, never stop sharing your wisdoms, and never stop following the moments from the great beyond that give you chills. These things might just be the building blocks of your legacy.