Tuesdays with Morrie

Posted on Friendster, Nov 2006

I've recently finished the book (well, it's actually an e-book) Tuesdays with Morrie. I've been wanting to read it since the time I knew Mitch Albom but I prioritized his other book, The 5 People you Meet in Heaven (it's an e-book too). Thanks for my friend for furnishing me with these copies. :). Between the 2 books, I would have to admit that I liked The 5 People better than Tuesdays. Nevertheless, it was a good read. Mitch Albom will still be one of my favorites. The book tackled the lessons he learned from his professor, Morrie. I've even taken note of those phrases which struck me (see below). I guess I have to re-read The 5 People and jot down those striking parts.
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"Accept what you are able to do and what you are not able to do"

"Accept the past as past,without denying it or discarding it"

"Learn to forgive yourself and to forgive others"

"The way you get meaning into your life is to devote yourself to loving others, devote yourself to your community around you, and devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning."

"The most important thing in life is to learn how to give out love, and to let it come in."

"Once you learn how to die, you learn how to live."

"If you don't have the support and love and caring and concern that you get from a family, you don't have much at all."

"Without love, we are birds with broken wings."

"Don't cling to things, because everything is impermanent."

"Offering others what you have to give."

"If you're trying to show off for people at the top, forget it. They will look down at you anyhow. And if you're trying to show off for people at the bottom, forget it. They will only envy you. Status will get you nowhere. Only an open heart will allow you to float equally between everyone."

"Don't let go too soon, but don't hang on too long."

"Death ends a life, not a relationship."

"Love is when you are as concerned about someone else's situation as you are about your own."
"There is no such thing as "too late" in life."

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In our lives, we will always have a "Morrie". Someone we look up to. Someone who influenced us in more ways than one. Teachers-wise, someone whose impact on us is not confined within the halls of an educational institution. I cannot think of a professor that would fit as Morrie as I did not have the chance to be so close with any of my teachers. My relationship with them was pure education-stuff. Perhaps if I could single out professors whom I admired when I was in college, they would be Engr. Lourdes Arcilla (Differential Calculus) and Engr. Lulu ( yes, Circuits 2 and Electromagnetics!). Ma'am Lourdes gave me a grade which booted me out of the Dean's list that semester but it was OK. My fault. I remember giving her a Thank You card after that semester, I don't know if she got it though. For Engr. Lulu, I liked the way he taught us. He had an approach that made me took his subject seriously though Circuits was really not my favorite. I don't know if he has married ( He was single kasi that time). I've always envisioned myself being in the academe when I get older ( not that I am not yet old right now, hehehe). There's a certain fullfilment in teaching that I cannot explain. I had a brief stint at part-time teaching in one of the colleges in our province. I stopped not because I do not love the profession but because it was terribly exhausting! I was working full-time then from 6am to 2 pm. My first class starts at 3pm and my last class ends at 9 pm ( it's a consolation that I have a one-hour break). I had a hard time juggling with my sched as I was even taking my masterals on the side during saturdays. Sometimes I feel that I did not give my all to my students as I was having a hectic schedule. I was an employee-teacher-student rolled into one. I was inspired to teach as well because it was one of my father's unfulfilled dreams. He always tells us when he was still alive that he was given an opportunity to teach in one of the universities in manila but he opted to work instead in the government. He vented his passion for teaching to his children. During summer when we were still young, he would gather us all and teach us topics of converting decimal to percentage and vice versa, distance-age-solution problems (yes! Algebra, hehehe). Anything Math - Go si Daddy diyan! On my first attempt at demo teaching, I was turned down. I vividly reckon my topic: Polynomials! I did not progress to the second stage. My brother did. With this, my Dad did not discourage me to pursue teaching. It's sad that I was able to finally teach when my father was not around anymore. Even in other fields like music, I had that penchant for playing the guitar when De has passed away. Samantalang noon, hirap na hirap siyang turuan kaming mag gitara. De, hirap nga pala, hanggang ngayon, D-A-G-A pa rin alam ko, hehehe. (ung paglipat lipat while strumming, ibang usapan pa un!).

Anyway, I am sure my dad's still happy as my brother trekked the path of teaching. They're both Mechanical Engineers but my father chose to be in the government during his time ( sa Ministry of Public Works and Highways pero DPWH na ngayon). My brother chose the academe. Don't worry De, I am certain there would still be teaching opportunities for me. Not now but in the future. :)

In our lives, we will always have a Morrie.

My Daddy is my "Morrie" :)

Who's yours?

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