Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom

Essay, Pages 6 (1452 words)

Views

100

Tuesdays with Morrie, to say the least, was a very touching and eye opening book. It all starts with a young man by the name of Mitch who starts college a year earlier than he was supposed to. He takes a sociology course with an older professor named Morrie. Right off the bat, Mitch felt some sort of connection with his professor. Mitch had tried so hard to blend in with the other college students but with Morrie he felt like he could relax and be himself.

Don't use plagiarized sources. Get your custom essay on

“ Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom ”

Get custom paper

NEW! smart matching with writer

Morrie taught lessons about life and how it has so much more to offer than what people generally see. Throughout Mitch’s college career he had taken so many of Morrie’s classes that he was just a few credits shy from becoming a sociology major. The two shared a wonderful friendship in a way that Mitch hadn’t experienced before. He stated that he had never eaten lunch or made an effort to be around an older adult that he hadn’t been related to.

When it finally came time for Mitch to graduate, he got his “short, old professor” a brief case with his name on it. After Morrie had spoken to Mitch’s parents about what a wonderful man they had raised, it was time for Mitch and Morrie to part ways. Morrie asked Mitch to stay in touch and they shared a hug. After they parted, Mitch could see Morrie was crying.

After graduation, Mitch moved off to New York City.

Once he finally found a job and was able to support himself, his wife and a possible family, he found himself too wrapped up in work to do so. He relinquished his dream of becoming a musician in order to gain wealth and success. While Mitch is out trying to make a name for himself, Morrie continued to strengthen the minds of college students. Every now and then he goes to dance with others when one day, he suddenly falls gasping for air. The doctors reveal to him that he has ALS, also known as, Lou Gehrig’s Disease. It was at this moment that Morrie knew his body would soon become useless though his mind remained as sharp as ever. While he fights on with his disease, many come to marvel at the man who, instead of throwing a pitty party for himself, is sharing his wisdom on life with others.

With flipping though the channels one evening after work, Mitch hears of an interview being done on a man named Morrie and his battle with ALS. At this point in time it had been sixteen years since the professor and him parted ways and neither kept in touch. It was at this moment when Mitch realized it was finally time to go visit with Morrie. When he arrived, the sight of his once energetic professor bound to a wheelchair was a lot to handle. They went into the house and began to catch up. Throughout the rest of Morrie’s life, Mitch came to visit every Tuesday bringing food every time even when Morrie was unable to eat solids anymore, it became a tradition. They spoke about an array of topics during every meeting in which Morrie referred to as their “last thesis together.” During Mitch’s college career they had met and Morrie helped Mitch conduct his thesis’s, this was by-far going to be the best one yet. Towards the end of Morrie’s journey, he was bed- ridden and in a comatose state. He took his last breath once his family left the room to get coffee, as if he knew they were gone.

Throughout the book there was significant evidence of gains and losses throughout Morrie’s life, as well as Mitch’s. Morrie was a very active person even in his old age before being diagnosed with ALS. He valued dancing, being able to exercise, and helping others when he got the chance. Losing the ability to perform these activities took a toll on Morrie, but what he gained in the end was worth so much more. He opened his home and soul to anyone who wanted to listen. He learned to look at life in a different way. To see the time, he still had ahead of him instead of the time he had lost. Knowing that the unimaginable was close upon him and there was nothing he could do about it, he gained a clearer outlook on life.

Mitch also suffered gains and losses throughout his life. Once he landed a stable job, he began to get caught up his work. He found himself caring more about his success and accomplishments above everything else. By doing so he lost a chance at having children and a family during his young adulthood. The most obvious loss for Mitch in this book is the loss of his old professor and dear friend. In the end, he gained Morrie’s outlook on life. He became more focused on the important things in life, such as his family and helping others, instead of his work.

Throughout the remaining time that Mitch had spent with Morrie, they discussed many different topics. One of those being the “fear of aging.” When most people think about getting older they get sad and depressed, imagining of all the time they have lost instead of what they have left. Morrie viewed aging as growth. Though there were many emotions that were tied into this, he remained positive. Morrie told Mitch to accept the emotions that come regarding ageing and dying, just like “turning on the faucet.” Letting emotions in and having a good cry every now and then is how Morrie kept his spirit. He refrained from letting the sadness overtake him, yet he still had moments where he would break down. Morrie also had to deal with becoming completely dependent upon others to take care of him. Most would imagine this as an uneasy state but, Morrie seen it in a different way. He was not ashamed of his condition. Having someone to bathe, cook and feed you was bringing him back to the times when he was a child. Mitch asked him once if he would ever want to go back to a certain age. Morrie responded with “no.” he said that he had already lived out those parts of his life and gained knowledge from them, he didn’t want to go back.

Another topic that was discussed between Mitch and Morrie was the love for money and materialistic things. Morrie explained that people are brain-washed by the statement “more is good,” when in reality it isn’t. More money means bigger houses, shinier cars and infinite wealth in materialistic items. Hearing this over and over again causes it to become a basic instinct to always want more money and people lose the sense of what is important. What people aren’t getting was that it’s the love for money that drives hate. Morrie stated, “perhaps people are so hungry for love, they are accepting substitutes” and I believe that he is exactly right. You can’t trade Morrie was considered a very wealthy man but it wasn’t because of the amount of money he had, it was because of the attitude he kept towards his dying self. I personally believe that if others shared Morrie’s outlook on money and wealth, the world would be more peaceful. As Morrie was sitting in his chair dying, he said that he couldn’t truly get what he wanted with any amount of wealth or money.

The effects of culture were another topic mentioned by Mitch and Morrie. When people feel like they are being threatened, their first instinct is to become defensive and mean. The world is full of hate because everyone feels threatened in some way, whether it be because of a job or relationship. It causes people to become more selfish. Morrie thought that If we could all just realize that no matter our race, culture or ethnicity, we are all the same. The world would become a more peaceful place if everyone could come to this realization. Morrie talks about how our basic instinct is to follow suit with our society and culture, do what everyone else is doing. Continuation of this is how people lose their sense of self and individuality. Little things really don’t matter when it comes to following in with how society wants us to be; however, when it comes to thinking, that is we need to start pulling our own strings Morrie stated.