The Last Lecture

A tenuous connection to Dog at best, but still something I want to say….

For my birthday, two plus months ago, two different people gave me the book “The Last Lecture.”

I had heard about it and I knew that it was about a guy who was dying of cancer and his life lessons and that it was really inspirational.

I knew I wanted to read it, but I was in no rush, so both copies languished until we took a weekend trip in the car to Santa Cruz and I had a couple of hours to read uninterrupted.

The book was beautiful. Just enough ego to make it engaging and real, but simple, profound, wonderful lessons for life.

I highlighted several passages and made a note to watch the You-Tube video of the actual “Last Lecture.”

Then a couple of weeks later, I played the lecture on my laptop as I cleaned out my closet. (I am the ultimate multi-tasker.)

To see this man give this talk has to be one of the most transformative experiences ever.

There are no words. You must see it.

And know that every second of your life is one to be grateful for, and that living your dreams is really possible, and that going through brick walls is what you do when you really want something, and that helping others achieve their dreams is at least as good as achieving your own.

Wow!

So, the tenuous connection…

I met a friend today who has a lot of health and other problems. We like to meet once a week for what we call a “walk (dog) and talk.” Before we met I searched for one of the copies of the book to give him, but couldn’t find it in my mess of an office.

His response was that he must not be ready for the book. Still, I told him about the You-Tube video and how Randy had this amazing attitude in the face of everything.

This is the e-mail I received from him this afternoon:

I just turned on the computer and that last lecture guy passed on.

I knew he was dying, but somehow I had hoped he wouldn't. I have been praying for a miracle for Randy and his family, but it’s not going to be the miracle I imagined.

I'm unbelievably sad for someone I never met, yet felt I knew intimately. And, it sounds really corny to say this, but I am unbelievably grateful for the lessons that Randy Pausch gave us.

And I can't help but wonder how our lives, our worlds would be different if we were all in Randy's situation.

What if we had a finite time granted to live in good health before we left this world? How would we spend the time? What would we do? What would we say? Who would we say it to?

And, of course, do we have to go to the very brink of mortality to realize these things?