Nov 04, 2007 09:57 PM
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There are books you buy, read and then place them on the Book shelf that adorns your Living Room(because you haven’t an extra room for a Library/Den which is what you struggle night and day earning for!)
But sometimes you pick up a book from a Book Store, read it and decide that you probably never want to put it amongst the many “lost” books on your book shelf. You want it to be close by…so you can reach out to it in your moments of doubt and uncertainty, or pore over its message in an idle moment as you take a break from your taxing schedule.
I picked up one such book yesterday. It is called Tuesdays with Morrieby Mitch Albom. Although I pride myself on my updated knowledge about the bestsellers of the week/month, the award winning authors etc, I don’t ever remember reading or hearing about this one. The cover claims that it is a “runaway bestseller”.
After reading 192 pages in three hours flat I know why it was a “runaway bestseller”.
It’s a poignant true life story of a dying man, Morrie Schwartz who was a professor of Social Psychology in Brandeis University, Massachusetts, stricken with ALS(Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) a debilitating neurological disease with no known cause or cure(Stephen Hawking is afflicted with ALS), and his student, Mitchell Albom, a Sports journalist with the Detroit Free Press.
As Morrie comes to terms with his impending death, he talks to his old student Mitch about the truths of life, living and dying. Mitch meets him on every Tuesday, which was a tradition that built between his professor, who he fondly addressed as Coach, and him during his under-grad days as he was helped through tutorials and an Honors thesis by Morrie. Mitch dutifully records his favourite professor’s words and compiles them into a heartfelt book that is sure to make tears flow uninhibitedly.
Since Morrie knows he is going to die “sooner than later”, he feels compelled to share his love, friendship and wisdom with his friends, students, relatives and the world at large. His flashes of wisdom comprise phrases such as
“Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.”
“Accept what you are able to do, and what you are not able to do.”
“Don’t assume that its too late to get involved.”etc
He is a man who has not only come to terms with his imminent death; he has learnt to embrace it. He learns to watch his once agile body shut down one function and organ after another as the disease makes him lose control over his nerves, making his limbs lifeless and increasing his dependency on others - beginning with loss of freedom of movement as his legs go atrophic, losing control over his hands, his inability to pee without help, his inability to wipe his bottom, to his inability to swallow, before the disease takes over his lungs and literally chokes him to death.
His struggle as he grapples with the disease is recorded event by horrifying event. And yet, what strikes the reader is the optimism of the man who learnt to see the humour in every situation, even death.
Excerpt:“I was completely astonished by his complete lack of self-pity. Morrie who could no longer dance, swim, bathe or walk; Morrie who could no longer answer his own door, dry himself after a shower, or even roll over in bed. How could he be so accepting?”
Meanwhile, we are taken through the demons that exist in the mind of Mitch, who as a successful writer is caught in material entrapment synonymous with the struggle most of us put ourselves through. We desire a big car, a mansion, a hefty bank balance and live life achieving these goals, little realising that these are not important goals. Along the way we lose touch with basic values such as humanity, humility, satisfaction and generosity.
As Mitch learns the lessons through his professor, he is constantly reminded of the values he upheld as a young man. He wonders at the manner in which he has changed over the years and constantly asks himself, “What happened to me?” Perhaps to most of us, this is the most important question of all. What really happened to us? The fervour of youth, our desire to make a difference to the world, to bring about a change, turns into cynical dreams from the past as the struggle to achieve our “goals” takes precedence.
Morrie talks about the importance of having a family and children.
Excerpt:“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. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.”
“There is no experience like having children. There is no substitute for it. You cannot do it with a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children.”
For a successful marriage Morrie believed you must have one important value, “Your belief in the importance of your marriage.”
Excerpt:“When Morrie was with you, he was really with you. He looked you straight in the eye as if you were the only person in this world.”
“I believe in being fully present, Morrie said. That means you should be with the person you’re with.”
The startling precision of such statements makes you sit up and note the manner in which you fail to give “undivided” attention to anyone or anything.
The narrative moves from visions of past interactions between the two men, their respective childhoods and a chronicle of past events that affects and charts the course of their lives. The language is simple and plain speak.
What I liked most about this book is the easy, heartfelt manner in which we are made to realise the simple truths about leading good lives; truths that we are aware of, but truths that we bury deep in our hearts somewhere, while we let the mad rush of just “living a life” take over. We burn our beliefs to dust and do not stop to consider the harm we are causing ourselves in the bargain.
