Randy Pausch-Achieving Your Childhood Dreams Lecture

[hillbillybear]

I saw this guy named Randy Pausch on TV a few months ago. He was a teacher/instructor/lecturer at Carnegie Mellon. He was undoubtedly the most positive and inspiring individual I've heard speak in a long time. Only thing is he was dying from pancreatic cancer. I'm telling you, this guy is great. Please watch and let me know if this guy gears you up for whatever you want to do with your life. The title of the lecture is "Achieving Your Childhood Dreams". He passed away but his message lives on.

http://download.srv.cs.cmu.edu/~paus...transcript.pdf this is the text of the lecture

YouTube - Randy Pausch Last Lecture: Achieving Your Childhood Dreams this is the entire lecture

[sailingdog]

Someone else posted about him a few days ago. Thanks for the links though... they didn't link to his stuff.

[Stillraining]

I find he is in denial and joking about it..Dead happy is still dead...Hope he found more conversion then a laptop brand..

Just my opinion ...you asked

[SailKing1]

Primetime is airing an hour special in Pausch and "The Last Lecture" tonite on ABC at 10:00 for those who might be interested.

[hillbillybear]

I find he is in denial and joking about it
I totally disagree. The man was obviously happy living. I don't know of anyone who dies happy. The man had too much living to do to die happy. As far as the joking side of your comment. I find nothing funny about what the man said. I find nothing whatsoever about doing your best in life and approaching death as another facet of the trip.
Just my opinion
You're right. I asked for your opinion. Sorry you have no compassion.

[SailKing1]

I think a lot of people miss the irony in Randy's lecture. He was asked to give a lecture called "The last Lecture" before he knew of his situation. So the last lecture was truly his last.

As for the denial and comedy portrayed in his lecture you need to look at the reality of what a person as young as Randy is facing and realize the options. Should he sit in self pity until the end? Should he rail on how unfair life is, or make the most of what time he has left?

My mentor and Friend who got me started in my business past away in 1997 of measothelioma. When told he had 6 months to live he asked the doctor what he would do if someone had just told him he only had 6 months. The doctors reply was to retire an do everything you ever wanted to but didn't.
His response was that he already had done everything he wanted to (at 57 years old) and he would just keep working. The man did have a rich full life. He died 2 years later working every day until the end. His last 30 days were in bed on morphine for the pain. He died working on a budget for one of his clients. Why, because his client depended on him.

People take death differently. For my friend it was what made him so good at what he did. For Randy I believe it was sharing his situation and how it relates to his life with others will someday face the same decision. The moral being do all the things that you live to do, you don't know when your time expires.

I ofter see people start threads on here about going after "the dream" of cruising. I find the degree of variances in responses interesting. I guess the answer is really learned from those facing the choice with definitive end.

[sailingdog]

Still-

I think it has a lot more to do with how he spent the last years of his life, rather than anything else. My wife also died from pancreatic cancer and her attitude, at least to me, my family and friends, was one we all learned a lot from. Her sheer grace under horrific circumstances was something that always amazed me.

For example, about week before she died, a friend of mine flew down to be with us, because we knew it was going to happen soon. She had been hospitalized and at the time my friend came down, she was in the ICU with four central lines, a nasal gastric tube, a oxygen cannula, two IV pumps, and on enough narcotics to down a herd of elephants. She had nearly died twice in the previous two weeks. When she saw my friend, she said, "Brad, how was your flight?" and meant it.

I don't know about you...but most people I've ever seen who are in the hospital don't really give a rat's tuckus about anyone but themselves...and are usually more than happy to let people know that... Gee didn't do that. I hope that by the point when it is my time to die...I have the ability to be one tenth as gracious as the woman I married.

I feel very sorry for you, that all you can see is that he is dead.

To leave you with a thought regarding life and death, especially lives cut tragically short, Ralph Waldo Emerson said:

It is not length of life, but depth of life.

[hillbillybear]

Very, very sincere christian condolences to you, Dog. I had a kidney stone two weeks ago. Man, I was in some pain. But the worst part was the discomfort. Your wife must've been a tiger. Kinda scary knowing there are people with that much concern for others. I am the kind of guy who would walk on fire to save a child in a burning house. Your woman was one who would walk with fire to save a child. And to you King, I'm not sure any of the great writers of our time could have told a better story. Condolences to you as well.

[Stillraining]

My coment came from the perspective that he used a Slander of a Christian belief to get a laugh...Obviously not a believer...Maybe that went over your heads...I caught it.. so unless he changed his mind he is now not a happy camper...Just my belief ...and for your information I do feel compassion for him...

Sorry you all took it all personal..Didn't want for this to turn into a witness but you all needed an explanation...

FWIW...You are talking to a man who has been given an expected time line..