Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997
For the second- third of the book, Morrie's condition has worsened, meanwhile his "mind" and "soul" as he would say it, was just fine. Through his worsening condition, Morrie's calm demeanor seems to be providing Mitch with some much needed time to reflect on himself and take in even more of Morrie's life lessons. To sum it up the most simple way; along with the progression of Morrie's ALS, came the progression of Mitch's mind.
(Page 116) Morrie says: "It's like going back to being a child again. Someone to bathe you. Someone to lift you. Someone to wipe you. We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it."
Morrie is connecting his dependency on others and Charlotte, to being a child again. He is putting his dependency in a positive spot for him.
(Page 101) Charlotte says: "There's already so much food. He hasn't eaten any from last time."
I found this quote to be extremely significant because it was one of the first signs of Morrie's ALS slowly draining his life away. This was one of the first indicators to both Mitch, and the reader that Morrie is actually dying. This quote was almost a reality check on the actuality of Morrie's condition.
(Page 126) Morrie says: "There's a big confusion in this country over what we want versus what we need,"...."You need food , you want a chocolate sundae"
I find that this quote by Morrie basically means Americans have a tendency to be materialistic, and go above and beyond what they need, and get a refined, upgraded version of what they need just to make them happier for the moment. This message in particular can be directly connected to Mitch, because Mitch valued the power and money he gained with his job. He chose everything job related over the traditional values in his life, such as his family and even Morrie himself. I believe without a doubt, that Morrie intended to get this message in particular through to Mitch, and that Mitch got this message across the strongest of all of Morrie's messages.
In the second- third of "Tuesdays With Morrie", I feel that the portrayal of illness and dying has shifted slightly. Initially illness and dying was portrayed as something you need to make a positive out of, and do the best with your situation, however; now it seems that the insights Morrie is giving to Mitch is giving Morrie a deep sense of responsibility and relevance. I believe the message that "Tuesdays with Morrie" is sending across according to illness and dying is, with the rest of your time, it is necessary to hand down the information and experience that your life (along with illness and dying) has given you to a person worthy of the information. Mitch is this important person for Morrie. Morrie is aware of his allotted time, and feels that it is his responsibility to give Mitch every bit of wisdom and knowledge he has, in hopes that Mitch will do the same for someone else.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Saturday, December 11, 2010
Hw 22 - Illness & Dying Part 1
Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997
During the chapter, "The Classroom", Mitch comes to the realization that his old professor, Morrie is an overnight media magnet. After the infamous "Nightline" interview that Morrie was the subject in, he was the target for many other interviewers and took the interest of many people after his diagnosis of ALS. Mitch criticizes himself as a man who is in want of nothing more than money and power, his values weren't as deep as Morrie.
(Pages 32-33) - Morrie said, "People see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of . . . in - between." This quote demonstrates that Morrie feels as if he can't be alive since he is soon to die, but not dead since he is still grasping on to life.
(Page 38) - Mitch said, "I promised I would, and I tried not to think about the last time I promised this."
Mitch said this after Morrie told him to visit him again, Mitch knows that he had let Morrie down once before already and has remorse for it. Mitch knows the type of person he is now, yet doesn't seem to necessarily be proud of it.
(Page 61) - Morrie said, "Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel."
This quote can be changed to an overarching theme. Applying this quote to Mitch, you can say that Mitch initially looked at Morrie as an old man dying and withering in to nothing, and suffering the entire time. However it is not until Mitch spends more time around Morrie, that he realizes that Morrie is not thinking about what he sees in the mirror, but more of what he feels inside.
The way that Tuesdays With Morrie portrays illness and dying, is through positivity. Morrie doesn't emotionally wither up and quit during his last months of life, instead he chooses to spread his insight and thoughts for the end of his life. This is pretty similar to how my family has handled illness before death. A very distant relative through marriage, had a lump in her breast found and during the time before they biopsied it, she chose to be much more at peace and giving to others. Both my relative and Morrie used the fear of death to give them much more value for their lives.
Mitch Albom
Published by Doubleday
Year of Publishing: 1997
During the chapter, "The Classroom", Mitch comes to the realization that his old professor, Morrie is an overnight media magnet. After the infamous "Nightline" interview that Morrie was the subject in, he was the target for many other interviewers and took the interest of many people after his diagnosis of ALS. Mitch criticizes himself as a man who is in want of nothing more than money and power, his values weren't as deep as Morrie.
(Pages 32-33) - Morrie said, "People see me as a bridge. I'm not as alive as I used to be, but I'm not yet dead. I'm sort of . . . in - between." This quote demonstrates that Morrie feels as if he can't be alive since he is soon to die, but not dead since he is still grasping on to life.
(Page 38) - Mitch said, "I promised I would, and I tried not to think about the last time I promised this."
Mitch said this after Morrie told him to visit him again, Mitch knows that he had let Morrie down once before already and has remorse for it. Mitch knows the type of person he is now, yet doesn't seem to necessarily be proud of it.
(Page 61) - Morrie said, "Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel."
This quote can be changed to an overarching theme. Applying this quote to Mitch, you can say that Mitch initially looked at Morrie as an old man dying and withering in to nothing, and suffering the entire time. However it is not until Mitch spends more time around Morrie, that he realizes that Morrie is not thinking about what he sees in the mirror, but more of what he feels inside.
The way that Tuesdays With Morrie portrays illness and dying, is through positivity. Morrie doesn't emotionally wither up and quit during his last months of life, instead he chooses to spread his insight and thoughts for the end of his life. This is pretty similar to how my family has handled illness before death. A very distant relative through marriage, had a lump in her breast found and during the time before they biopsied it, she chose to be much more at peace and giving to others. Both my relative and Morrie used the fear of death to give them much more value for their lives.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Hw 21b - Expert #1 - T/V comments.
To Jessica C. :
You should add some of your own insight, include your perspective. Explain a connection you may have to her situation, and if you don't have one than you can use a friends loss as an example. Just try to give a connection.
To Lora :
I think you did very good with your list of Ms Woods important insights, but just try to proofread your blog before you post it. "In-brace" should be embrace, on your list "Ounce" should be once, etc, and "granited" should be granted.
You should add some of your own insight, include your perspective. Explain a connection you may have to her situation, and if you don't have one than you can use a friends loss as an example. Just try to give a connection.
To Lora :
I think you did very good with your list of Ms Woods important insights, but just try to proofread your blog before you post it. "In-brace" should be embrace, on your list "Ounce" should be once, etc, and "granited" should be granted.
Hw 21 - Expert #1
List of Important insights shared by Ms Wood
- Her and her husband initially had no health insurance
- "Honeymoon from death"
- The idea of time passing by much quicker after her husband's diagnosis
The term that she used for the time passing by after her husband's diagnosis was "Snowballing", with reference to time passing by quick. I can deeply connect to this because I have had the sense of time passing by rapidly upon tragic news. Although just my pet, when I was 7 years old my beloved dog started growing ill. My grandmother took her in to the vet, and after tests and observations, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. My dog was very old so she was on borrowed time before the diagnosis, however once I heard that she won't live for much longer, I wanted time to slow down so much just to get the most out of every last second but time did just the opposite. I felt that one day passing, was equal to three or four days prior to my dog's diagnosis. So I fully understand what Ms Wood meant when she said "Time was snowballing".
I find her idea of health insurance something I think about whenever I'm at a doctors appointment. Ms wood and her husband had no health insurance available to them at first, which seems unacceptable for any American citizen, but it was a harsh reality in her case. Whenever I am at a clinic, and my grandmother goes to the front desk to handle the paperwork and sign in, the clerk behind the desk always asks her "What type of health insurance?" and my grandmother responds "Affinity". As a child, I never thought about it, but as I grew older and learned about health insurance, I always find myself asking, what if I didn't have health insurance? How much money would be spent on my doctors visits? How much would have to be sacrificed? I grew opinions on health insurance, and to this day, I believe everyone that is a U.S citizen should have health insurance with no tolerance for the lack of it. Health insurance was always taken for granted by me, but listening to Ms Woods' story, I am thankful for having health insurance and can't imagine the struggle she went through.
Ms Woods' presentation pushed me to think more about the time that we have available with our loved ones and that we should make the most out of it. On a deeper level, I now find myself more prepared for the realization that although someone of astronomical importance and significance to you has become ill or passed away, the world isn't going to change around it. The world moves on, cars keep moving in traffic, stores stay open, emergency rooms get ready for the next set of people coming in, nothing changes.
- Her and her husband initially had no health insurance
- "Honeymoon from death"
- The idea of time passing by much quicker after her husband's diagnosis
The term that she used for the time passing by after her husband's diagnosis was "Snowballing", with reference to time passing by quick. I can deeply connect to this because I have had the sense of time passing by rapidly upon tragic news. Although just my pet, when I was 7 years old my beloved dog started growing ill. My grandmother took her in to the vet, and after tests and observations, she was diagnosed with bladder cancer. My dog was very old so she was on borrowed time before the diagnosis, however once I heard that she won't live for much longer, I wanted time to slow down so much just to get the most out of every last second but time did just the opposite. I felt that one day passing, was equal to three or four days prior to my dog's diagnosis. So I fully understand what Ms Wood meant when she said "Time was snowballing".
I find her idea of health insurance something I think about whenever I'm at a doctors appointment. Ms wood and her husband had no health insurance available to them at first, which seems unacceptable for any American citizen, but it was a harsh reality in her case. Whenever I am at a clinic, and my grandmother goes to the front desk to handle the paperwork and sign in, the clerk behind the desk always asks her "What type of health insurance?" and my grandmother responds "Affinity". As a child, I never thought about it, but as I grew older and learned about health insurance, I always find myself asking, what if I didn't have health insurance? How much money would be spent on my doctors visits? How much would have to be sacrificed? I grew opinions on health insurance, and to this day, I believe everyone that is a U.S citizen should have health insurance with no tolerance for the lack of it. Health insurance was always taken for granted by me, but listening to Ms Woods' story, I am thankful for having health insurance and can't imagine the struggle she went through.
Ms Woods' presentation pushed me to think more about the time that we have available with our loved ones and that we should make the most out of it. On a deeper level, I now find myself more prepared for the realization that although someone of astronomical importance and significance to you has become ill or passed away, the world isn't going to change around it. The world moves on, cars keep moving in traffic, stores stay open, emergency rooms get ready for the next set of people coming in, nothing changes.
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Hw 19 - Family Perspectives On Illness & Dying
I questioned my grandmother using my personal opinions about illness and dying as a control, and using my grandmother as almost an experiment. I asked her, "Do you think illness and dying is talked about that much in society?" My personal opinion on this topic, was that it was actually avoided many times, and the topic of illness and dying makes people feel uncomfortable so they choose not to mention it when it isn't necessary. To round up what my grandmother stated, she thinks that people don't want to be reminded of the fact that death and illness exists everywhere around them. She also strongly felt that most people don't like to talk about death/illness because it almost always reminds them of a tragedy that has happened or is happening now within their family and friends.
My grandmother and I also agreed on one thing, however. We both felt that death and illness is an issue that people like to isolate from the living. An example my grandmother used, were cemeteries. The idea I believe she was trying to get at was that most cemeteries are out of the city, and never surrounded by much civilization, they're hardly any buildings neighboring cemeteries. I agreed with her because I feel as another good example, would be Elderly "homes" which are never seen in the city, nor come in much contact with the rest of society.
I believe the most interesting insight that my grandmother made, was that although cemeteries, along with hospitals and elderly institutes are companies, and offer jobs and are large organizations they never have advertising. You never see a commercial air for Beth Israel Hospital or a cemetery. Why would any television network want to air a commercial advertising something on a topic as negative as death and illness? Why is it that two of the inevitable things in life (death/illness) aren't advertised or spoken of widely in society?
My grandmother and I also agreed on one thing, however. We both felt that death and illness is an issue that people like to isolate from the living. An example my grandmother used, were cemeteries. The idea I believe she was trying to get at was that most cemeteries are out of the city, and never surrounded by much civilization, they're hardly any buildings neighboring cemeteries. I agreed with her because I feel as another good example, would be Elderly "homes" which are never seen in the city, nor come in much contact with the rest of society.
I believe the most interesting insight that my grandmother made, was that although cemeteries, along with hospitals and elderly institutes are companies, and offer jobs and are large organizations they never have advertising. You never see a commercial air for Beth Israel Hospital or a cemetery. Why would any television network want to air a commercial advertising something on a topic as negative as death and illness? Why is it that two of the inevitable things in life (death/illness) aren't advertised or spoken of widely in society?
Sunday, November 28, 2010
HW 18 - Health & Illness & Feasting
During this Thanksgiving with my family, feasting and the idea of eating a huge meal with many options seemed to be the focus of the holiday. As each family member poured in to the large apartment, they each made a humorous comment about food. During the wait for the food, other pleasures were also being practiced. Once 8 o'clock hit, my oldest cousin Brandon, and his sisters husband both demanded we change the channel to channel 11 for the Jets game. Up until the food was served around 8:30, that's all everyone was watching. When the food was ready to be self-served, everyone wasted no time filling their plates up.
Their was a major background element of death within the family while we were having our thanksgiving celebrations. My Uncles' sister tragically had a miscarriage about a year and a half prior to this thanksgiving. Everyone in the family knew it, and we've mourned her loss with her last thanksgiving and Christmas. Although we all went through the initial shock of her loss already, we knew she was thinking about it, especially as the two new babies of the family were running around. During this Thanksgiving however, it can be said that the pleasures of being with the family, and feasting together while watching the football game, can be a source of comfort for her, and in many cases with death and illness, food is usually a comforter. The nutrition of the food was not a major concern for us, the major chefs of the family, my uncle, my aunt and my uncles mom, just wanted to create a meal with tons of taste and to fit what we all liked to feast on. My family is relatively healthy, so nutrition was not a concern for just that one day of gorging.
This thanksgiving seemed to be somewhat contradictory of the normal Anti body and body-centered social practices. Along with the other teens in my family, we all were actually working out with the tons of equipment my uncle filled the apartment with. In relativity to last years' thanksgiving, we all on average ate about one full medium sized plate of food, whereas I can remember from last year, that we on average ate about double that, and filled our plates as much as possible twice. Although we weren't making a conscious effort to eat smarter, it seemed like a subliminal message to eat healthier.
Their was a major background element of death within the family while we were having our thanksgiving celebrations. My Uncles' sister tragically had a miscarriage about a year and a half prior to this thanksgiving. Everyone in the family knew it, and we've mourned her loss with her last thanksgiving and Christmas. Although we all went through the initial shock of her loss already, we knew she was thinking about it, especially as the two new babies of the family were running around. During this Thanksgiving however, it can be said that the pleasures of being with the family, and feasting together while watching the football game, can be a source of comfort for her, and in many cases with death and illness, food is usually a comforter. The nutrition of the food was not a major concern for us, the major chefs of the family, my uncle, my aunt and my uncles mom, just wanted to create a meal with tons of taste and to fit what we all liked to feast on. My family is relatively healthy, so nutrition was not a concern for just that one day of gorging.
This thanksgiving seemed to be somewhat contradictory of the normal Anti body and body-centered social practices. Along with the other teens in my family, we all were actually working out with the tons of equipment my uncle filled the apartment with. In relativity to last years' thanksgiving, we all on average ate about one full medium sized plate of food, whereas I can remember from last year, that we on average ate about double that, and filled our plates as much as possible twice. Although we weren't making a conscious effort to eat smarter, it seemed like a subliminal message to eat healthier.
Monday, November 22, 2010
Hw 17 - First Thoughts On The Illness & Dying Unit
Throughout my 17 years of life, I've gone through a couple of damaging losses. My uncle, Manny when I was just five, and my dog, Raven when I was 11. Amongst those major losses, I've heard of a few deaths that occurred with my more distant relatives, to go along with the losses, my entire family almost, has gone through a health scare. My uncle, was diagnosed with diabetes recently and my grandmother had a breast cancer scare.
Speaking entirely on my experiences, I believe that illness and dying in society is a pattern that people have learned to follow. I believe this pattern starts off with the initial shock and pain of a loss/diagnoses, followed by the realization of what has to change around the situation. After the changes have been put in to place, I have observed that people tend to continue their mourning and reflect back on the situation, and than once the mourning and shock period is over (However long it might be) the ones affected by the loss/diagnoses, continues on with their life. I am a great example of this pattern. When my dog Raven died, I had a long period of pain, and mourning, after a few months I than had to realize the changes around me that would take place, the realization that no dog will greet me at the door, the improved cleanliness of the house, etc. After that, the changes were put in to affect, and over time I continued life uninterrupted.
Although I've always had my own views on death/illness, I was always swayed slightly by both society and my family. Society has always shown me that dying should be a celebration of the accomplishments and the past of the person who passed while they were alive. I still up to this day find that to be ignorant. Why should someone be celebrated when they die, but not when they're alive? Does death make them a better person? Why does it take the worst case scenarios of death and illness to celebrate ones life? The news especially makes announcements of celebrities or important figures in the world, passing on and than usually plays a tribute or a montage of the persons past accomplishments. Society makes a passing almost a time for celebration and respect. My family almost taught me the opposite. I was told by my grandmother and my aunt as a child that; "They're in a better place now", "Don't worry about it, just keep moving on.". It seemed that they wanted me to acknowledge the death but not to celebrate it, but to put it in the past and continue on. Society's view and my family's views on the topics of dying/illness have helped give me my interpretation of the topics as something to understand, respect and acknowledge, but not to have as a distraction or an obstacle in continuing my life.
In general, what I've always found more interesting than people getting sick and dying, is the infinite opportunities and chances for death and illness to strike around every single person
lives every single day. A simple walk to the corner store has infinite risks of death/illness, the walk down the stairs can result in a trip that leads to a head injury, if you manage to make it down the stairs alive, what about the hundreds of murders that occur daily in your neighborhood? Once you avoid the risks of getting attacked by a criminal, what about the actual groceries you get from the store? Who are you to know if the produce you've just brought doesn't have fatal bacteria on them? Now, lets not even talk about the small street you have to cross on the way back home. This very small scale example, produces tons of opportunities for accidents to occur, yet most people don't acknowledge this fact, no one chooses to live their lives worried about every time they walk down the street, or take a bath, or even play there favorite deadly sport. From what I've noticed around me, people "act" oblivious to the real world around them that is surrounded with death and illness. The main idea I have on illness and dying is that, the only reason people react in such a negative and hurt way to illnesses and deaths, is because we put ourselves in a world where nothing will go wrong, until it goes wrong.
Speaking entirely on my experiences, I believe that illness and dying in society is a pattern that people have learned to follow. I believe this pattern starts off with the initial shock and pain of a loss/diagnoses, followed by the realization of what has to change around the situation. After the changes have been put in to place, I have observed that people tend to continue their mourning and reflect back on the situation, and than once the mourning and shock period is over (However long it might be) the ones affected by the loss/diagnoses, continues on with their life. I am a great example of this pattern. When my dog Raven died, I had a long period of pain, and mourning, after a few months I than had to realize the changes around me that would take place, the realization that no dog will greet me at the door, the improved cleanliness of the house, etc. After that, the changes were put in to affect, and over time I continued life uninterrupted.
Although I've always had my own views on death/illness, I was always swayed slightly by both society and my family. Society has always shown me that dying should be a celebration of the accomplishments and the past of the person who passed while they were alive. I still up to this day find that to be ignorant. Why should someone be celebrated when they die, but not when they're alive? Does death make them a better person? Why does it take the worst case scenarios of death and illness to celebrate ones life? The news especially makes announcements of celebrities or important figures in the world, passing on and than usually plays a tribute or a montage of the persons past accomplishments. Society makes a passing almost a time for celebration and respect. My family almost taught me the opposite. I was told by my grandmother and my aunt as a child that; "They're in a better place now", "Don't worry about it, just keep moving on.". It seemed that they wanted me to acknowledge the death but not to celebrate it, but to put it in the past and continue on. Society's view and my family's views on the topics of dying/illness have helped give me my interpretation of the topics as something to understand, respect and acknowledge, but not to have as a distraction or an obstacle in continuing my life.
In general, what I've always found more interesting than people getting sick and dying, is the infinite opportunities and chances for death and illness to strike around every single person
lives every single day. A simple walk to the corner store has infinite risks of death/illness, the walk down the stairs can result in a trip that leads to a head injury, if you manage to make it down the stairs alive, what about the hundreds of murders that occur daily in your neighborhood? Once you avoid the risks of getting attacked by a criminal, what about the actual groceries you get from the store? Who are you to know if the produce you've just brought doesn't have fatal bacteria on them? Now, lets not even talk about the small street you have to cross on the way back home. This very small scale example, produces tons of opportunities for accidents to occur, yet most people don't acknowledge this fact, no one chooses to live their lives worried about every time they walk down the street, or take a bath, or even play there favorite deadly sport. From what I've noticed around me, people "act" oblivious to the real world around them that is surrounded with death and illness. The main idea I have on illness and dying is that, the only reason people react in such a negative and hurt way to illnesses and deaths, is because we put ourselves in a world where nothing will go wrong, until it goes wrong.
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