Almost six years after it was first published by sportswriter (a sportswriter??) Mitch Albom, "Tuesdays With Morrie" has found a spot in the soul of America, about as close to center as you can get. I keep buying "Morrie", lending it to friends and never getting it back. I think I now have the fourth copy I've owned, and it's going nowhere!
For me, "Morrie" is a touching review of things that are important in life, things I needed to be reminded of, before I reinvent myself again in middle age. The last time I read it, I was able to focus less on the touching relationships between Morrie and those he made a part of his life. I also found myself focusing less on how to approach the end of life with a sense of positiveness and possibility. Both of those themes were, and still are, an important part of "Morrie's" contribution.
Instead, this read allowed me to focus on Morrie's philosophy of spending your life creating your own culture..."devote yourself to creating something that gives you purpose and meaning". The pace of our lives today, and the pace we have created in our children's lives, doesn't leave time for looking at the big picture. So many of us don't see the big picture, until we start to think about life's ending. And, although that is still not too late, why wait?
When you read reviews of Morrie, you'll find fans of all ages. You'll find people who had their minds eased by "Morrie" as they approached a life-threatening illness, those who found inspiration when they had just lost a loved one, those, like Mitch Alborm, who never stopped to make sure while they were creating their lives that they left room to build their character. And you'll find those who were so touched by Morrie's story that they found themselves telling all their friends and lending their books to them.
And so, "Morrie", both the book and the wise old coach, have become a cultural icon for people from all walks of life. And that's a good thing. If, in the middle of your life, you get the sense, as I did, that perhaps your greatest contribution can be as a mentor (whether you are a teacher, and I hope you are!....or a manager, or a parent or a friend) you will recognize the possibilities of what you can be for yourself and others if you approach life in the way that Morrie did.
Say what you want about the sentimentality of "Morrie", the writing style, the commercialism....the book becomes a part of the American heartbeat, and deservedly so.
"Morrie"...is a classic.