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first class together
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1) the curriculum
Morrie to Mitch's parents: "you have a special boy here.[...] Mitch you are one of the good ones."
He asked if I will stay in touch, and without hesitation I say, "of course." When he steps back, I see he is crying -
2) the syllabus
in August 1994, he began to have trouble walking. finally after seeing many doctors, one doctor recognized Morrie had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ASL) a brutal, unforgiving illness of the neurological system -
3) ASL is like a lit candle: it melts your nerves (FALL SMESTER)
as the disease took him over, day by day, week by week, in fall 1994, Morrie came teach his final college course. he could skipped this, of course. the university would have understood. but the idea of quitting did not occur to Morrie. -
4) ASL: WINTER SMESTER an New Year came and went
the pills increased.
Therapy became a regular routine.
Nurses came to Morrie's house to work with his withering legs to keep them active.
Morrie knew this would be the last year of his life -
5) New year 1994: Morrie using wheelchair now
When a colleague at Brandies died suddenly of heart attack, Morrie went to his funeral. He came home depressed
"what a waste," he said. "all those people saying all those wonderful things, and Irv never got to hear any of it."
Morrie had a better idea: "living funeral" -
the 1st Tuesday: world
1) morrie: pretty soon someone was gonna have to wipe my ass and i think that day is coming. but i'm working on it. i'm trying to enjoy the process
ENJOY THE PROCESS
2) *while people are suffering around the world Morrie cries for them (showing care for each other)
Morrie: love is the only rational act, the best most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love and to let it come in." -
the 2end tuesday: feeling sorry for yourself
Mitch: do u feel sorry for yourself Morrie?
Morrie: i mourn what i've lost sometimes in the mornings but then i stop mouring. igive myself a good cry if i need it. but then i concentrate on all the good things still in my life. i don't allow myself anymore self-pity than that. a little each morning"
not to feel sorry for yourself -
the 3rd tuesday: regrets
the first time that Mitch felt he is losing Morrie and he felt the need to record their meetings. after their third meeting, Mitch wrote a list; death, fear, aging, greed, marriage, family, society, forgiveness and a meaningful life these are the themes that Morrie and Mitch going to talk about them the entire of their meetings. -
7) first meet: the first meeting after 16 years before that the official meetings start
Mitch: as i turned onto Morrie's street in west Newton, I had a cup of coffee and hand a cellular phone between my ear and shoulder talking to a TV producer about a piece we are doing" (showing that Mitch was very busy with daily life) Mitch seeing Morrie after 16 years in his garden on a wheelchair. he was shocked for a while couldn't believe this is real. 5 min later, Morrie was hugging him. without Mitch being aware of, their last class had just begun -
8)the classroom
Morrie:" Mitch, so many of people 0who come to visit me are unhappy. well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people make feel good about themselves. we are teaching the wrong things. and you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don't buy it. creat your own . most people can't do it and this is why they're unhappy." -
6) the audiovisual: Morrie host of ABC-TVs
"accept what u r able to do and what you are not able to do" the professor's final course: his own death
morrie now on wheelchair MITCH: a thousand mile away in my house on the hill i was casually flipping channels. i heard these words from the TV set-"who is Morrie Schwartz?" and went numb -
Morrie's death
Morrie had fallen into a coma two days after his final visit with Mitch.
finally, on fourth of November, when those he loved had left the room just for a moment to grab coffee in the kitchen, the first time none of them were beside him, Morrie stopped breathing
And he was gone.
This book was largely Morrie's idea. he called it as the "final thesis." like the best work project."