in this respect he was , perhaps , no different to many men of a certain age : whatever a mans achievements , or not , during his lifetime , there comes a time when instead of looking to the future as an endless path stretching ahead along which to continue the progress you have made all your life , suddenly the view is dominated by the gaping chasm of mortality , and the only way to bridge the gap is to leave a more permanent memorial to your life than is provided by mere flesh and blood .