Randy Pausch

When I got on the computer tonight, a headline on Sarah's homepage caught my eye: "Last Lecture professor dies at 47." I was suprised in a way, but shouldn't have been. For those of you that don't know what I'm talking about, go to the ABC News website for more information. I first learned about Randy Pausch from Sarah, although she doesn't know it. I saw a CD on the kitchen hutch that said "Last Lecture-Randy Pausch." Being stubborn, I didn't ask Sarah about it. Instead, I turned to my trusty friend: the internet. I found his videos on Youtube and was amazed at what I saw. How could a man who had been diagnosed with cancer have such an attitude? It was amazing. I then went to his website and read more about his struggles, his passions, and his life. (As a side note, when I tried to connect to it this evening, it wasn't working.) I then went out and bought the book The Last Lecture and read it almost all in one sitting. It was inspiring and sad all at the same time. I raved about it to my coworkers the next day and even loaned my book to Emily, the payroll supervisor. (For those of you who know me, you realize how much it takes for me to loan a precious book out.) I have two quotes from the book on my whiteboard at work. The first is "Decide if you are a Tigger or an Eyore" and the other is "The brick walls are there for a reason. They let us prove how badly we want things." I would encourage everyone to either watch the Youtube version of The Last Lecture or read the book. I only wish that I could live my life as well as Randy Pausch did. I extend my sincere condolences to his wife and children.