Tuesdays with Morrie Part 1

Tuesdays With Morie

By: Mitch Albom

Publisher: Random House

Year Published: September1997

Precis: Morrie exceeds the typical professor or teacher. His inspiring classes, teachings, words and theories live on from being a professor at Brandies and someone who is dealing with an illness.

“Instead, he would make death his final project, the center of his days... He could be research. A human textbook.  Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn with me." pg.10

    At a late age, Morries was diagnosed with ALS. Morrie doesn’t let his sickness deteriorate his mind along with his body. Morrie doesn’t want to feel bitter about his life ending and his illness like many seem to do. Instead he wants to embark on teaching others like he has done all of his life. And do this through his experience with death.

“What happen to me? I once promised myself I would never work for money , that I would join the Peace Corps, that I would live in beautiful, inspirational places." pg.34

    Mitch feels his life at this moment isn’t what he wanted as a college student. He’s a successful journalist who spends his whole life devoted to accomplishments, riches and his work. Over the years labor became his companion and letting everything else seem meaningless.  He envisioned his life as someone who wouldn’t be influenced by money and success, that his listening and understanding of his mentors (Morrie) teachings of a "happy life" would come in to play after college. He now realizes that this hadn’t happen.

"The culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn't work, don’t buy it." pg.42

    I agree with Morries theories about life and our culture. It’s easy to see how American society is built around influencing others to do something, act and be a certain way. Many strive to reach the expectations of the culture of America and beat themselves up mentally if they don’t do so. Many must be strong enough to reject the American culture if it isn’t beneficial to you and your state of being.


Reading the first third of Tuesdays with Morrie, Morrie has shown to be an inspirational individual who has made an impact in many lives with what he says. He took his experience with ALS and presented it to those who knew him and were nothing but strangers and used it to teach. Especially Mitch. Like Morrie I think of death and illness as something that eventually occurs in ones life. When I experience illness and death I hope and think more positively than negative about my up and coming death like Morrie had done. I want to reflect on my life and be satisfied, knowing that I had a good run at it.