Present
Randy Pausch
I’ve been meaning to write about Randy Pausch since his death on July 25th. I had never heard of Randy until Lisa passed along the link, passed along to her by someone else. Say what you will about the internets, but they give us the opportunity to spread some really valuable things - things that shine through all the spam, muck, and worthless noise.
Randy was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and given a diagnosis of three to six months of good health. He made it almost a year after that diagnosis, and from everything I’ve watched and read about him, I believe it was because of the things he spoke about in his lecture: he had fun. He was a Tigger and not an Eeyore. He knew what was important and what wasn’t. And he was willing to fight.
I have watched cancer affect so many people I know, directly or indirectly, and I’m a firm believer that your attitude and your outlook do have an affect on how long and how successfully you can fight. No, you won’t always beat it. No, it’s not easy, and I wouldn’t wish it on my worst enemy. But we all have the opportunity to teach others what we’ve learned on this crazy journey, spinning around on a rock in the middle of the universe, and I’m glad to have had the opportunity to learn from Randy Pausch.
Frank Voisin has a helpful summary of Randy’s lecture and what he took away from it here. Read. Learn. And think about what you can take away from a Cornell professor’s last lecture. Already know what you took away from it? I’d love to hear, so share in the comments.
Discussion
2 comments for “Randy Pausch”
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I didn’t see/listen to “The Last Lecture” until after Pausch’s death. I just totally hate cancer and how it has so deeply affected nearly everyone’s lives (mine included, of course).
I was surprisingly very deeply affected by the lecture and it really resonated with me. I was most struck by the “brick wall” analogy, and how the brick wall is not this insurmountable barrier, but a way to “weed out” those who really want to achieve their goals from those who are not as committed . I just thought, “Wow! Anything is possible if you are persistent and keep your goal in sight.” I am completely serious when I say that I have thought about the brick wall in trying to figure out what I want to do next in my life. If I want to go to Columbia, I sure can. In my experience, I always roll over and give up when I face a “brick wall”. Approaching it as this conquerable thing makes me hopeful. It also kinda makes me sad that I didn’t look at it this way before, and like I have wasted time. Damnit pessimism!! :(
Don’t you think “The Last Lecture” really fits in with the “spiritual journey” we have been discussing so much lately?
@TLo - I can’t believe no one else commented here, but yes, I really think that “The Last Lecture” meshes well in the puzzle pieces of our lives of late. Think of it this way - it wouldn’t click now without all the “wasted” time it didn’t click before.