TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE by Mitch Albom

TUESDAYS WITH MORRIE

 by Mitch Albom

“The truth is, once you learn how to die, you learn how to live.” 

This is the Book 4 of The Book Earthworms. The book taught me a lot especially about life. This book gave us a very heart-warming discussion.

DISCUSSION DIRECTOR- ARJUN DANGO

1. Though we all know that Morrie is going to die in the story, still, what did you feel when the doctor said to Morrie that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)?

-we all have an idea that Morrie will die in the story but as the story progresses, we found out what’s the reason of his death, and that is A.L.S. We felt sad about it but Morrie accepted his condition and about his death. We all just hope that scientists and doctors will finally find cure to those who have the same condition with Morrie.

2. If you were Morrie, would you wither up and disappear, or would you make the best of your life?

-just like Morrie, all of us in our group agreed that we would make the best of our lives and came up with same thought that if you knew that you are going to die you should not waste your time sitting and think miserably, instead, make way to spend time with your love ones and inspire others.

3. Considering the state of Morrie, would you support him with his statement “Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn with me.”

-we consider two aspects in this statement, one in medical aspect, and one in social aspect. In medical aspect, we support him with the statement. A.L.S. has no cure as of these days, so to help for the discovery of medication; one should volunteer for the sake of experiment. In social aspect, on the other hand, we strongly support him. In order for an individual to accept his condition, one needs support and understanding with his condition. Morrie is facing death and it needs courage and understanding. And with his advocacy of helping people understand their individual conditions with his philosophy, their goes his statement, that we should learn with him, because his facing death and he’s accepting it. 

4. What if Mitch had not spent time with Morrie, do you think he would change?

-all of us agreed that he would not change, when he got his job, he forget that he should do what would make him happy, to chase his own dream and not the other’s. But Ron rose up an argument that Mitch doesn’t need Morrie to change because if you know what you are doing, then there’s no bad thing about it. Jermaine rebutted that in life, sometimes we needed someone to make us realize that something is wrong and I added up that sometimes, man cannot see that what he’s doing is wrong and would make his life miserable. We need someone to make us see what we cannot see, and that sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel.

5. What if Mitch didn’t become Morrie’s student, do you think Mitch would care about Morrie’s condition just like other people do?

-John said its human nature, people easily get attached and sympathize with people who has very bad condition. But in Mitch’s busy schedule, Elaiza said, he would not make time to watch special show, he even make promise to his wife that he will make it up to her and always hurry for his business trip or for his phone call. As we all know, people are busy with their own business and errands, and so, we ended up with an assumption that Mitch wouldn’t care about Morrie’s condition.

COMMENT: It was a fun discussion and heartwarming one. The members were very open to express their ideas. I believe the anwers were good and responded to the questions raised by Aj.

PASSAGE PICKER- HARA VESSA ESCABARTE

“Some people walk around with a meaningful life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things. The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning” (P. 43)

·     This passage in the book strikes me. A simple-sentence-constructed paragraph yet a meaningful one, this passage made me realize how wrong I was in dealing my life, on how wrong my friends are in spending their lives. This made me think how life should be lived, how life should be done, I thought making things that makes us happy are the things that should be done, but I was wrong. Indeed, to live life is to do things that give us purpose and meaning it is not about making ourselves happy that may lead us to be a wrong person, happiness doesn’t define us. The main thing that matters the most in this passage is to live life useful and meaningful, and find ourselves to be a more purposed persons.

COMMENT: This is indeed very striking passage to me because as a human being, having a life with a purpose, especially a good one is what makes me complete. Purpose keeps me going. Life without a purpose is no life at all.

CHARACTER CAPTAIN- JERMAINE L. DELA CRUZ (YOURS TRULY)

Morrie Schwartz as The Dying Man, The Mentor and The Tailor Retailored

The Dying Man

The persona where the title of the novel was drawn, Morrie has spent most of his life as a professor of sociology at Brandeis University. An excellent teacher, and retires only after he begins to lose control of his body to ALS, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, also known as Lou Gherig's disease, he realizes that his time is running out, and that he must share his wisdom on the meaning of life with the world before it is too late. He is successful in two ways, through the “Nightline” show with Ted Koppel and through Mitch Albom who later published this novel in his memory. He and Mitch plan for the book during his dying days calling it their "final thesis”.

The Mentor

Morrie’s signature is his ability to draw human spirit and genuine emotion from everyone he befriends. He is able to change Koppel, who is a thick-skinned national celebrity. He even draws tears out of Koppel after they are done filming the last interview for the “Nightline” show. Morrie believes that love and compassion are crucial methods of communication. He is determined to see Mitch return to his caring self that he was in college when in Morrie’s class. In telling Mitch stories of his life experiences and personal beliefs, he teaches him to reject the corrupt mores endorsed by popular culture in favor of his personal, ethical system of values.

The Tailor “Retailored”

He has lived and loved to his fullest extent, and is intent on continuing to do so as he dies. Having always lived as a fiercely independent man, it is difficult for him to rely on others for all of his basic needs, it’s as if he has returned to his childhood and is finally getting the love and compassion he so longed for as a young boy.  In his childhood, he has been deprived of love and attention, and now that he is once again reliant on others as he was in his infancy, he thrives on the love and physical affection provided by his friends and family.

Mitch Albom as The Dreamer, The Student and The Redeemed

The Dreamer

Mitch is a sports writer who has surrendered his dreams of becoming a musician. He works most days and nights dedicating little time to himself or his wife. When the union for the Detroit newspaper goes on strike, he finds himself for the first time, without steady work or paycheck. Upon learning of the strike, he grows increasingly frustrated by the career and life decisions he has made, and experiences a life-altering epiphany in which he realizes that he needs to change.

The Student

Despite the uneasiness he has felt, he visits the sick Morrie and through his meetings with him, he realizes that he must change this life in which he thought he was happy. He wants another chance to reassess his values and priorities so that he can create a fulfilling life for himself before it is too late

.

The Redeemed

Mitch feels so thankful to have had Morrie in his life; for he has helped bring value and purpose into Mitch’s life. Through the plot Mitch wishes to express how Morrie has changed his life, through these Tuesday lessons express his teachings and values to the world and he was able to do that through his novel.

CONNECTOR- JOHN SALVADOR DEMDAM

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is a story of a student and a professor having not only a teacher-student relationship, but like a father and son as well.

Morie, the professor, who gives his views and perceptions towards the issues given by Mitch or Mitchel unto him. This novel actually touched me so much. This was the first novel that made my tears came out while reading some of its passages. This novel remembers me of my father when he was also helpless like Morrie when he was sick and dying. And even now that I'm making this task as connector, again, this gives me flashbacks f those times, and I can't help my tears be stock in my eyes, of course I will not let this fall. Anyway, I am just so thankful that I have red this novel, and it made me feel not doing the CONNECTOR as a task but, Im doing this, for this talks about some parts of my life.

I will connect Tuesdas with Morrie to a poem, amd this poem would be "Death, be not Proud" by John Donne.

Death Be Not Proud

Death be not proud, though some have called thee

Mighty and dreadfull, for, thou art not soe,

For, those, whom thou think'st, thou dost overthrow,

Die not, poore death, nor yet canst thou kill mee.

From rest and sleepe, which but thy pictures bee,

Much pleasure, then from thee, much more must flow,

And soonest our best men with thee doe goe,

Rest of their bones, and soules deliverie.

Thou art slave to Fate, Chance, kings, and desperate men,

And dost with poyson, warre, and sicknesse dwell,

And poppie, or charmes can make us sleepe as well,

And better then thy stroake; why swell'st thou then?

One short sleepe past, wee wake eternally,

And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die.

This poem was given to us by one of my teachers in college. We are task to analyze it. Of course at first, I found it difficult for a couple of readings, until I and my classmates discussed it together, and later on, Im getting the point slowly. This poem actually gives us the view of not fearing death at all. Let us not consider death as big deal in the cycle that we are in, and that cycle is "LIFE". It is the misconception of most of the people that we should be feared by death. So this poem, simply depicts that let s not be frightened, for if we experience death when the time comes, it will not happen again. Note the last line of the poem, "And death shall be no more; death, thou shalt die."

So the connection of the poem in the story is that, Morrie does'nt have any hesitations and questions of facing his death. He knows that he's living his life with a limited time and he make sures of living it to the fullest. That fullest includes of him as an inspiration not only for himself but also to other people.

There was this line in the novel, "Mitch, I embrace aging". "It's very simple, as you grow, you learn more... Aging is not just decay, you know, its growth." Morrie is underatanding that he is going to die, and by it, he live a better life. It was just one of Morrie's positive outlooks he protrayed in the novel.

Let me just say this, "The process of learning never stops as we are in the process of living." Morrie was just a living manifestation of living your life fruitfully even if when you are in the darkest phase of it.

COMMENT: I was the one to suggest this poem to John to be used as connector. We learned this poem in British Literature. This poem is perfect for the novel because like the persona in the poem, Morrie was not afraid of death (Death be not proud, though some have called thee). Morrie was also a great man; well-respected in the university where he was teaching (And soonest our best men with thee doe goe). Instead of fearing death, Morrie used this to change people's lives by teaching them about life, thus, bringing inspiration and even tears to Koppel and Mitch Albom. John did great in explaining what the poem means to him and how this could be conneted to the novel.

ARTISTIC ADVENTURER- ELAIZA TERO

COMMENT: Nice choice of picture which is an animated version of one scene from the novel. I also commend Elai for giving credits to the owner of the picture, although unknown. This shows her honesty. The editing was on the inserted quote. It suits the picture and the scenario. Death indeed ends a life, not a relationship.

SUMMARIZER- RYAN MARK L. CATANIO

Mitch Albom wrote this novel in memory of his most beloved college professor, Morrie Schwartz. This story is about "The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."(p.52). At the beginning of the novel, Mitch is in the house of his old professor to take his class about The Meaning of Life, every Tuesday. He said that it was his professor’s last class, where he is the only student.

Mitch recalls his memory from his graduation day of his college life. He gave his professor a present: tan briefcase with his professor initial on front. They hug and say goodbye to each other and when Mitch sees that Morrie is crying, he promise that he will stay in touch with Morrie. But Mitch broke his promise.

Morrie has since been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, this cause him to lose and give-up his dancing, swimming and even privacy.

Mitch, sixteen years after his graduation has become a frustrated musician. Later on, his uncle died out of pancreatic cancer, which gives him a way to realized that his life has just become a waste. Mitch abandons his failing career as a musician to become a well-paid journalist for a Detroit newspaper. He marries Janice, and promise her to that they will have children eventually, though he spends all of his time at work, away on reporting assignments. One night, while he is watching the television he recognized Morrie’s voice being interviewed with Ted Koppel (British American broadcast journalist, best known as the anchor for Nightline).  Mitch is stunned to see his former professor on television.

Following Morrie's television appearance, Mitch travel from his home to his old professor’s home. When Mitch drives up to Morrie's house, he delays greeting his professor because he is speaking on the phone with his producer, a decision he later regrets. They greet and have talks. Mitch promise to come back again, and thought to himself that he will never break his promise again.

Shortly after his reunion with Morrie, Mitch works himself heavily of reporting on the Wimbledon tennis tournament in London. There, he spends much time thinking about Morrie and forfeits reading the tabloids, as he now seeks more meaning in his life and knows that he will not gain this meaning from reading about celebrities and gossip. He is knocked over by a swarm of reporters chasing celebrities Andre Agassi and Brooke Shields, and it is then that Mitch realizes he is chasing after the wrong thing. When he returns to his home, Mitch learns that the article he has worked so hard to write will not even be published, as the union he belongs to is striking against the newspaper he works for. Once more, Mitch travels to Boston to visit Morrie.

Now, Mitch is taking a class to Morrie every Tuesday. 

The first Tuesday they talk about “The World”. They discuss a bit of news going on in the world and Morrie cries. Morrie tells him how he cries about things that are going on across the world because he feels close to the people who are suffering. Morrie recalls his memory about his college classes where Mitch is one of his students. Morrie enters the room and is silent for about fifteen minutes. The students become uncomfortable which leads into a discussion regarding silence.  Mitch is not bothered by the silence and while he is walking out of Morrie's class, Morrie stops him and tells him that he reminds him of himself.

The second Tuesday they talk about “being sorry for yourself”. Mitch asks Morrie if he feels sorry for himself. His response is, “sometimes, in the mornings,” he says, “thats when I mourn. I feel around my body, I move my fingers and my hands-whatever I can still move- and I mourn what I've lost”.  Mitch is amazed how Morrie thinks he is lucky to know he is dying because he has so much time to say goodbye. Mitch offers to lift him into the chair, and later realizes that their time together is running out. Mitch thinks back to a specific class with Morrie during his junior year in college. Morrie had each student to fall backwards in trust that their assigned partners would catch them. Only one student completes the trust exercise correctly. Mitch.

The third Tuesday they talk about “regrets”. Mitch brings a tape recorder to Morrie’s in order to remember their discussions. They discuss regrets and how people don’t think about what they really want from life:  “the culture doesn't encourage you to think about such things until you're about to die”. Morrie tells him, to ask anything. So, on the plane ride home that day, he makes a list of all of the questions he had for Morrie.

Koppel visit Morrie again for another interview. With his interview, Morrie revealed his childhood. In his childhood, Morrie had been very poor. His father, Charlie had been cold and dispassionate, and had neglected to provide for Morrie and his younger brother emotionally and financially. At the age of eight, Morrie must read the telegram that brings news of his mother's death, as he is the only one in his family who can read English. Charlie marries Eva, a kind woman who gives Morrie and his brother the love and affection they need. Eva also instills in Morrie his love of books and his desire for education. However, Charlie insists that Morrie keep his mother's death a secret, as he wants Morrie's younger brother to believe that Eva is his biological mother. This demand to keep his mother's death a secret proves a terrible emotional burden for young Morrie; he keeps the telegram all of his life as proof that his mother had existed. Because he was starved of love and affection during his childhood, Morrie seeks it out in his old age from his family and friends.

The forth Tuesday they talk about “death”. They discuss death and how most people do not believe that they are ever going to die. Morrie asks Mitch that if he could accept the fact that he could die at any time, would he still work as much as he does.  Morrie feels that if people, in general, were able to believe that they could die at any moment, that they would live their lives differently. Morrie recalls his memory about discussing Lou Gehrig and his baseball career.

The fifth Tuesday they talk about “family”. Morrie and Mitch discuss family and children. Morrie emphasizes the importance of love, especially love from a family. He says that those people without love are birds without wings. He feels that if he did not have the love and support from his family, that he would have nothing at all. The discussion has led Mitch to think about his younger brother, who move to Europe and got caught of pancreatic cancer. His brother does not want anyone to help with his cancer, which made him angry with. He then recalls a memory of him and his brother sledding when they were children. The sled went in front of a car and the boys jumped off to safety. The two were filled with pride at having just skipped death.

The sixth Tuesday they talk about “emotions”. Mitch goes to Morrie’s house and is surprised to see his wife, Charlotte. He shows her the food he brought for Morrie, but she turns it down, because his husband can’t take those hard-to-swallow foods. They discuss how it is important to fully accept something and then let it go. Morrie says you need to know the emotion you are feeling and realize that it can’t hurt you, it can only help you.

The seventh Tuesday they talk about “fear of aging”. Morrie can no longer take care of himself, which needed him to let other people to take care of him. Instead of being frustrated he is enjoying all the people around him who are helping him and taking care of him. Morrie think that aging in the time to learn more, gain a better understanding of your life and to experience growth. He also teaches Mitch that aging is not something to fear with, except when someone needs to watch you in the bathroom.

The eight Tuesday they talk about “money”. Morrie and Mitch are influenced by a quote from the newspaper and discuss money and power. Morrie explains to Mitch that people use money as a substitute for love because they do not get enough. Morrie tells Mitch that in order to feel satisfied; people should offer to others what they have, whether it is a skill or simply just listening.

The ninth Tuesday they talk about “how love goes on”. Morrie and Albom talk about love. Morrie tells Mitch that is the love of people around him that keeps him alive.

On the tenth Tuesday they talk about “Marriage”.  Mitch brings his wife, Janine to see Morrie. Janine who has a god voice sings 1930’s song by Ray Noble in front of Morrie. When she finished singing, Mitch noticed tears running down Morrie’s face. He and Morrie then discuss marriage and Morrie shares with him what he has learned through his many years of marriage. He tells Mitch that you must have the same belief in the importance of marriage if the relationship is going to work.

The eleventh Tuesday they talk about “culture”. Morrie tells Mitch about how our culture has wrong ideas, and it is smart not to buy into it. They discuss how our culture has us believe that we must be ideal people, men must be rich and women must be thin. Morrie thinks that people do not see what they could be, how much potential they have. Morri, then recall his memory, once in basketball game at University. The students are chanting to the team, “We’re number one!”, and finally, Morrie is so tired of this he stand up and says, “what’s wrong with being number two?”.

Koppel visits Morrie for the third time. Koppel asks him how bad it is, and Morrie lifted up his hand as far as he could, halfway up his belly, and Koppel understood that this was as much as he could move.  Morrie explains to Koppel that once he can no longer be responsive to other people, he is no longer living. He also tells Koppel he wants to die serenely.

The twelfth Tuesday Morrie and Micth talk about “forgiveness”. Morrie says to forgive yourself before you die, then forgive others. Morrie tells him that if he could have had another son, he would have liked it to be Mitch. The convesayion flashes back when Morrie found the place in which he would like to be buried. It is on a hill beneath a tree and overlooking a pond. He hopes that Albom will come visit him and tell him all his problems.

The thirteenth day they talk about “perfect day”. Morrie describes the perfect day as a simple day of being with friends and dancing. They then discuss Mitch’s sick brother who he has been trying to reach for weeks. Mitch cannot understand how his brother wants to be left alone during this time. Morrie tells him that he will eventually find a way back to his brother just as he found him. He says that death is the end, but not relationships.

On the last Tuesday, Morrie and Mitch says goodbye to each other. Charlotte had called Mitch to tell him that Morrie was not doing well but he still wanted to see him. When Mitch arrived, Morrie was still asleep and now just lying in his bed. Mitch thought of one of Morrie's idea, “when you're in bed, you're dead”, and tried to push the thought away. Morrie could barely talk, he was having tons of trouble breathing and Mitch knows Morrie's last days are here. He was very weak; he told Mitch that he was not doing well, and that he loved him. Mitch kissed Morrie, longer than usual, and finally began to cry. Albom thought about what Morrie said, “you'll talk, I'll listen”, and talks with Morrie in his head and noted how familiar the conversation felt. He then realized that it was Tuesday.

One of the main things that Morrie taught Mitch was that, "there is no such thing as 'too late' in life". Mitch seemed to take this thought to heart, as he was inspired to contact his sick brother in Spain. Mitch told him that he respected his decision to distance himself, but that he wanted to stay in contact because Mitch loved him. Mitch stated that he had never said such a thing to his brother; it seems  as though by Mitch telling his brother that he loves him, also allowed his brother  to see that it is never too late to regain contact and include his family in his  life.

COMMENT: This is quite long. Very detailed, in fact. But I commend Ryan for his efforts.

VOCABULARY ENRICHER- RONALD II SURILLA

biopsy (pg.7) “Finally, when nothing could be found, one doctor ordered a muscle biopsy, taking a small piece out of Morrie’s calf.”
- an examination of tissue removed from a living body to discover the presence, cause, or extent of a disease. (n)
deferments (pg.10) “Morrie gave all his male students A’s to help them keep their student deferments.”
- the action or fact of putting something off to a later time; postponement. (n)
aphorism (pg.18) “After a while, he had more than fifty of these “aphorisms,” which he shared with his friends.”
- a pithy observation that contains a general truth, such as, “if it ain't broke, don't fix it.” (n)
atrophied (pg.48) “They were loose because his legs had atrophied beyond normal clothing size”
- (of body tissue or an organ) waste away, typically due to the degeneration of cells, or become vestigial during evolution. (n)
opiate  (pg.67) “I begin a year-long project on how football in America has become ritualistic, almost a religion, an opiate for the masses.”
- relating to, resembling, or containing opium. (adj.)
communal (pg.74) “After their mother’s death, the two boys were sent off to a small hotel in the Connecticut woods where several families shared a large cabin and a communal kitchen.”
- shared by all members of a community; for common use. (adj.)
agnostic (pg.81) “He was born Jewish, but became an agnostic when he was a teenager, partly because of all that had happened to him as a child.”
- a person who believes that nothing is known or can be known of the existence or nature of God or of anything beyond material phenomena; a person who claims neither faith nor disbelief in God. (n)
teeming (pg.90) “Boston was teeming with students, double-parked on side streets, unloading trunks.”
- be full of or swarming with. (v)
lavalier (pg.90) “need to remind Morrie of his dwindling time. For our taped conversations, we had switched from handheld microphones—because it was too difficult now for Morrie to hold anything that long—to the lavaliere kind popular with TV newspeople.”
- a small microphone hung around the neck of the user. (n)
lilting (pg.100) “Charlotte, a beautiful gray-haired woman who spoke in a lilting voice.”
- speak, sing, or sound with a lilt. (v)
mogul (pg.123) “The quote was from Ted Turner, the billionaire media mogul, founder of CNN, who had been lamenting his inability to snatch up the CBS network in a corporate megadeal.”
- an important or powerful person, especially in the motion picture or media industry. (n)
inconsequential (pg.127) “Because I worked among rich and famous athletes, I convinced myself that my needs were realistic, my greed inconsequential compared to theirs.”
- not important or significant. (adj.)
stagnated (pg.130) “Back in Detroit, the labor war had stagnated, with each side accusing the other of failing to communicate.”
- cease developing; become inactive or dull. (v)
whimsical (pg.165) “Even in bronze, he had a whimsical look, and I thought this friend had sculpted a little spirit as well.”
- playfully quaint or fanciful, especially in an appealing and amusing way. (adj.)
alabaster (pg.152) “Yeah, I joked as I rapped my fist against the alabaster skin of his back.
- a fine-grained, translucent form of gypsum, typically white, often carved into ornaments. (n)

Author’s Purpose:

For me the author’s purpose in using these words is to make more vivid description in the message he is trying to convey. Through these words he can able to communicate with his readers using exact and precise words in the book.

COMMENT: Great job Ron! So many new words learned and could be used for future purposes.