Tuesday-with-Morrie.doc

Tuesday-with-Morrie.doc

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TuesdaywithMorrie

TuesdayswithMorrie:

anoldman,ayoungman,and

life’sgreatestlesson

By

MitchAlbom

Acknowledgments

Iwouldliketoacknowledgetheenormoushelpgiventomeincreatingthisbook.Fortheirmemories,theirpatience,andtheirguidance,IwishtothankCharlotte,Rob,andJonathanSchwartz,MaurieStein,CharlieDerber,GordieFellman,DavidSchwartz,RabbiAlAxelrad,andthemultitudeofMorrie‟sfriendsandcolleagues.Also,specialthankstoBillThomas,myeditor,forhandlingthisprojectwithjusttherighttouch.And,asalways,myappreciationtoDavidBlack,whooftenbelievesinmemorethanIdomyself.Mostly,mythankstoMorrie,forwantingtodothislastthesistogether.Haveyoueverhadateacherlikethis?

TheCurriculum

Thelastclassofmyoldprofessor‟slifetookplaceonceaweekinhishouse,byawindowinthestudywherehecouldwatchasmallhibiscusplantsheditspinkleaves.TheclassmetonTuesdays.Itbeganafterbreakfast.ThesubjectwasTheMeaningofLife.Itwastaughtfromexperience.

Nogradesweregiven,buttherewereoralexamseachweek.Youwereexpectedtorespondtoquestions,andyouwereexpectedtoposequestionsofyourown.Youwerealsorequiredtoperformphysicaltasksnowandthen,suchasliftingtheprofessor‟sheadtoa

comfortablespotonthepilloworplacinghisglassesonthebridgeofhisnose.Kissinghimgood-byeearnedyouextracredit.

Nobookswererequired,yetmanytopicswerecovered,includinglove,work,community,family,aging,forgiveness,and,finally,death.Thelastlecturewasbrief,onlyafewwords.

Afuneralwasheldinlieuofgraduation.

Althoughnofinalexamwasgiven,youwereexpectedtoproduceonelongpaperonwhatwaslearned.Thatpaperispresentedhere.

Thelastclassofmyoldprofessor‟slifehadonlyonestudent.Iwasthestudent.

Itisthelatespringof1979,ahot,stickySaturdayafternoon.Hundredsofussittogether,sidebyside,inrowsofwoodenfoldingchairsonthemaincampuslawn.Wewearbluenylonrobes.Welistenimpatientlytolongspeeches.Whentheceremonyisover,wethrowourcapsintheair,andweareofficiallygraduatedfromcollege,theseniorclassofBrandeisUniversityinthecityofWaltham,Massachusetts.Formanyofus,thecurtainhasjustcomedownonchildhood.

Afterward,IfindMorrieSchwartz,myfavoriteprofessor,andintroducehimtomyparents.Heisasmallmanwhotakessmallsteps,asifastrongwindcould,atanytime,whiskhimupintotheclouds.Inhisgraduationdayrobe,helookslikeacrossbetweenabiblicalprophetandaChristmaselfHehassparklingbluegreeneyes,thinningsilverhairthatspillsontohisforehead,bigears,atriangularnose,andtuftsofgrayingeyebrows.Althoughhisteetharecrookedandhisloweronesareslantedback—asifsomeonehadoncepunchedthem

in—whenhesmilesit‟sasifyou‟djusttoldhimthefirstjokeonearth.

HetellsmyparentshowItookeveryclasshetaught.Hetellsthem,“Youhaveaspecialboyhere.“Embarrassed,Ilookatmyfeet.Beforeweleave,Ihandmyprofessorapresent,

-1-

atanbriefcasewithhisinitialsonthefront.Iboughtthisthedaybeforeatashoppingmall.Ididn‟twanttoforgethim.MaybeIdidn‟twanthimtoforgetme.

“Mitch,youareoneofthegoodones,”hesays,admiringthebriefcase.Thenhehugsme.Ifeelhisthinarmsaroundmyback.Iamtallerthanheis,andwhenheholdsme,Ifeelawkward,older,asifIweretheparentandhewerethechild.HeasksifIwillstayintouch,andwithouthesitationIsay,“Ofcourse.”Whenhestepsback,Iseethatheiscrying.

TheSyllabus

Hisdeathsentencecameinthesummerof1994.Lookingback,Morrieknewsomethingbadwascominglongbeforethat.Heknewitthedayhegaveupdancing.Hehadalwaysbeenadancer,myoldprofessor.Themusicdidn‟tmatter.Rockandroll,bigband,theblues.Helovedthemall.Hewouldclosehiseyesandwithablissfulsmilebegintomovetohisownsenseofrhythm.Itwasn‟talwayspretty.Butthen,hedidn‟tworryaboutapartner.Morriedancedbyhimself.

HeusedtogotothischurchinHarvardSquareeveryWednesdaynightforsomethingcalled“DanceFree.”TheyhadflashinglightsandboomingspeakersandMorriewouldwanderinamongthemostlystudentcrowd,wearingawhiteT-shirtandblacksweatpantsandatowelaroundhisneck,andwhatevermusicwasplaying,that‟sthemusictowhichhedanced.He‟ddothelindytoJimiHendrix.Hetwistedandtwirled,hewavedhisarmslikeaconductoronamphetamines,untilsweatwasdrippingdownthemiddleofhisback.Noonethereknewhewasaprominentdoctorofsociology,withyearsofexperienceasacollegeprofessorandseveralwell-respectedbooks.Theyjustthoughthewassomeoldnut.

Once,hebroughtatangotapeandgotthemtoplayitoverthespeakers.T