Travis Bruns Tuesdays with Morrie 4/18

Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom is truly a remarkable read. It is about a man’s sociology professor named Morrie that contracts ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Mitch Albom is the narrator and also the all time favorite student of Morrie. Unfortunately Mitch loses contact with Morrie until he sees a TV special hosted by Ted Koppel with Morrie’s condition being the topic of discussion. He learns of Morrie’s predicament and then proceeds to contact Morrie.

Mitch’s first conversation in years with Morrie reveals that Mitch was much more than any regular college student to Morrie and that Morrie wished to see him. They decide to meet that Tuesday, the day of the week that Mitch always visited Morrie during his college years. Due to a strike by the journalism union Mitch was apart, he decided to return the next week. Eventually they decided to make it a weekly occasion. Each week they would discuss a different topic and each week would cause Mitch to reevaluate his life.

As Morrie lost his strength to his ailment, he seemed to transfer his strengths to Mitch. Mitch had grown into a man that seemed to be someone that he was not proud to be in the beginning chapters of the book. He portrayed himself as being a selfish and materialistic man, something that he wished never to be during his college years. Each talk with Morrie pushed himself to being a much better individual. Each conversation they share obviously affects Mitch, but it also touches the reader. It shows that through death there is rebirth. That death is not always as gloomy as it is portrayed. That one must remember how individuals affected others during their lifetime rather than mourning for losing them. Each Tuesday reaffirms, such as marriage and family, or discredits, such as money and fear of aging, a value or ideology of society. These ideas of Morrie really cause the reader to reevaluate what is important in life. It is inspiring yet saddening. It has altered my mind frame of life for the better just like I am sure it has done for its readers before me. I recommend this book to anyone. It can touch the lives of any demographic.