Be a Kevin
Kevin Fahrman’s infamous red heart, seen around Portland, Maine for the last few decades.
You probably aren’t building a legacy, professionally or otherwise, that will register at all with anyone other than those with whom you have direct and regular contact. On the off chance that you are building something that will extend beyond your own circle, there’s a decent chance you won’t be alive to fully appreciate your impact.
That might sound like the most dour possible message, but this Valentine’s Day, I’m thinking of it in the exact opposite light.
Last April, Kevin Fahrman died. He was 67. His name didn’t mean much to me before then. But it took on great meaning starting last April because that’s when Kevin was revealed as the infamous Valentine’s Day Bandit here in Portland, Maine. Suddenly, us locals had a name to go with the red hearts that materialized across the city in stores and shop windows and everywhere else in between on the morning of Valentine’s Day for decades running.
Kevin Fahrman left a considerable legacy behind, and his tradition is set to carry on this year, the first without him. There’s a stark contrast between the reach and emotional resonance of his gesture and the complexity and ambition behind it. Put another way, Kevin’s particular brand of banditry had a narrow, simple, good-hearted focus and execution, which is probably why it was so wildly successful.
Take it from Kevin’s family, who is carrying on his tradition by encouraging us all to “Be A Kevin”:
“Every year for decades, all over the little town of Portland, Maine, he secretly put up bright red hearts just in time for Valentine’s Day, delighting everyone. His gesture of pure love was stealthy and mysterious. Totally anonymous. Tireless. Genuine. Heartfelt.”
If you’re wondering why I brought up the legacy word at the beginning of this post, there’s your explanation. For almost all of us here on Planet Earth, all we can really control is how we show up.
People might remember something we make or do - they might map a symbol like a red heart to us in their memory. But that symbol is just a shorthand for all of the emotion tied up in it. If we’re tireless and genuine and heartfelt, and we’re that way year after year, we’ll leave a lasting impact. The tangible things we build - the triumphs and failures - fade from memory quickly. The way you show up isn’t so temporal.