"Tuesdays With Morrie" Book Review
Uploaded by tito tanman on Jun 20, 2006 |
|
|
"Tuesdays With Morrie" Book Review
Morrie is Morrie Schwartz, Mitch Albom's former university professor. Albom has forgotten his old mentor on the way to a successful career as a sportswriter. But all is not well with Albom's spirit and when he sees an interview with his mentor on Nightline, he takes the initiative to reconnect with his long lost friend.
Morrie is dying from Lou Gehrig's disease, a crippling illness that diminished his activities daily. Albom was one of hundreds of former students and acquaintances who traveled great distances to visit Morrie in the final months of his life.
Albom, when in college, met with Morrie on Tuesdays. After Mitch saw his friend on Nightline, he once again started meeting with Morrie on Tuesdays. In these visits, Mitch learns a lot about life and what is really important from Morrie. He tells Mitch that in life you have to find out what is important to you, and not let society make those choices for you. Mitch realized that society puts a value on stuff that shimmers and glistens, not on the things that really matter. Mitch had been caught up in all this while trying to become a successful sports writer.
Then Mitch asks Morrie what he would do if he had one healthy day.
“Let’s see . . . I’d get up in the morning, do my exercises, have a lovely breakfast of sweet rolls and tea, go for a swim, then have my friends come over for a nice lunch. I’d have them come one or two at a time so we could talk about their families, their issues, talk about how much we mean to each other.”
“Then I’d like to go for a walk, in a garden with some trees, watch their colors, watch the birds, take in the nature that I haven’t seen in so long now.”
“In the evening, we’d all go together to a restaurant with some great pasta, maybe some duck—I love duck—and then we’d dance the rest of the night. I’d dance with all the wonderful dance partners out there, until I was exhausted. And then I’d go home and have a deep, wonderful sleep.”
For a man that can’t get out of bed, on the verge of death, this is what he wants to do? This made Mitch see how Morrie was a man of great wisdom and valued the little thing in life. He taught Mitch so much, and allowed him to see the things that usually go unnoticed.
The author in this book shows how over a couple months what an impact one person can have on another mans life. Mitch started this story being caught up in success and not really caring for anything else. But as the story progresses, Mitch realizes that he has been letting society decide what is important to him. Morrie taught Mitch the meaning of life, and how even on a deathbed, a man can still see everything for the good that is in it.
I thought that this was a good story about a young man, old man, and the lessons one can learn from wisdom. This story left me thinking about the meaning of life and the contribution that we all can make to one another, even on the brink of death. |
|
|