Our brains are hindered by the bombardment of advertisements, dopamine inducing short form content, constant keeping up with the joneses, and pervasive sexual content across social media. I often ask myself what is the best way to preserve my mental fortitude and create a lasting impact on others who share my ideas.
My journey towards self publication began as a seedling of a thought while watching the television show Criminal Minds. The current episode was about a New Orleans area serial killer who was reenacting the crimes of Jack the Ripper to exact revenge on men she perceived as assailants. Out of morbid curiosity, I dived into researching the original Jack the Ripper case and the suspects involved. Eventually, I ended up on Wikipedia’s analysis of the murder suspects and came upon an interesting fellow.
I stumbled upon Francis Tumblety. He’s a relatively obscure man in the course of history who’s really only known for being a potential suspect in the Jack the Ripper case. In fact, he was arrested in a separate matter for being an associate of David Harold. His true profession seemed to be exaggerating claims of medical treatments and that of his own life. He would often create tales of incredible achievements and meetings with royalty from different parts of the world. Francis Tumblety was of little historical significance and a man of relative obscurity except for the times of his suspected wrongdoing in high profile cases. While diving down this Wikipedia rabbit hole I stumbled across his autobiography and manuscript for Dr. Francis Tumblety – Sketch of the Life of the Gifted, Eccentric and World Famed Physician.
He self published his exaggerated life and achievements in 1866 and here am I reading them in 2024 and sharing his peculiar story with you here. His autobiography has transcended generations and has even been viewed at the University of Michigan virtual library 264 times.
Dr. Francis Tumblety is an example of the eternal nature of reading and writing. In a world plagued by short form content, easily forgettable videos, and an ever decreasing attention span, I believe that writing will become an even more important part of society. We learn from the writings of generations past and trust in its wisdom to help guide us. Without reading and more importantly the skill to write eloquently, we are without our ability to disseminate and learn important information. Irregardless of how obscure or unimportant an idea is (such as the autobiography of Francis Tumblety), there is no greater form of immortality than the permanence of writing and sharing it with others.
As humans, we are constantly yearning for meaning and seeking out a way to create a legacy that impacts others than just ourselves. For those who wish to create a lasting legacy, I implore you to begin writing. Share your ideas with the world even if no one will ever read it. Immortalize your contribution to the hive mind of humanity. You never know who will be reading it 200 years from now.