These days I like to think of it as a reality tv show....especially with all the characters that are running the world and everyone looking to get their 15 minutes of fame....in the end...life is what you make it...think about those who die young or suddenly....what does life mean then? As you suggest...who we "touch" while living may allow a small piece of us to carry forward....
Yeah that is another very apt analogy. Today it seems more and more like a reality tv show, not making too much sense due to what the 'characters' have become and how the 'show runners' are.