Morrie Schwartz was Mitch Albom’s favourite professor at Brandeis University. Two decades after Mitch’s graduation, Morrie was diagnosed with ALS, reuniting the former teacher and student. Mitch was living a conventionally successful life as a sports writer, but still felt empty inside, while Morrie wakes up each morning finding a new part of his body paralyzed, but faces death with an optimistic outlook. In Tuesdays with Morrie, Albom recounts his conversations with Morrie during the last fourteen weeks of his life. The book touches on a wide range of issues including money, marriage, and of course, death.
Two recurring themes in these conversations are the importance of relationships/family/love and not being brainwashed by societal constructs (ex. more is better, your prime is in your youth). The first theme resonated with me much more than the second. I definitely hope to place a greater emphasis on nurturing healthy relationships with more peers and especially my family. However, I, perhaps naively, disagree about ignoring social constructs. To me, youth is a time to abide by the rules in order to get to a place of financial freedom, so that you can live more freely in the future. There is a time and place for conformity as well as contrarianism.
Interestingly, the only reason Tuesdays With Morrie was written is that Morrie did not have enough money to cover his ALS treatment (this was mentioned in the book itself). Had he lived a more conventional life, perhaps he would have been able to fund his treatment without outside help. Maybe I’m still young, dumb, and ignorant of what truly matters in life, but even then, I believe the most effective way to learn something is organically. Those moments of realisation—when the gears in your head suddenly click—are for me the second best feeling in the world*. These “mental orgasms” are one of the many things that make life beautiful. It’s just not the same when someone else explains it to you.
So at least for the time being, most of Morrie’s words of wisdom will just remain aphorisms at the back of my head, not a scripture that I will submit myself to. Overall, a short, sweet, and wholesome read!
This is part of what a family is about, not just love, but letting others know there’s someone who is watching out for them. It’s what I missed so much when my mother died—what I call your ‘spiritual security’—knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.
*In my opinion, the best feeling is going to bed after a long day, both physically and mentally exhausted