Randy Pausch's Last Lecture -Feb 22

I watched Randy Pausch Last Lecture with mixed emotions. At first I thought this was going to be another boring lecture, but was I surprised. Then I thought this guy is dying so this is going to be sad and it was at times but I was so impressed at this man's demeanor with knowing that in short time he was not going to be alive. I thought, "why is this man spending his time lecturing?" I could think of so many other things I would be doing instead of giving a lecture. But after listening to this lecture, I understood. What an amazing gift to leave behind. He was not only interesting and amusing, he really gives you a lot to think about while you embark on your own life.

Randy Pausch was a Computer Science Professor at Carnegie Mellon University. At 46, he was suffering from metastasized pancreatic cancer. He was expected to live only a few months when he took the stage before 400 students and fellow faculty in Sept. 2007. This was his last lecture. It was about how to live your life and it was his legacy to his children.

First he discussed "Childhood Dreams". He said he remembers smiling a lot when he was a child and that he wanted the same for his children. He talked about several aspirations he had for himself and how they didn't work out but what did work out for him was far better than what he could have imagined. He said "Experience is what you get when you didn't get what you wanted." What a great quote! There are so many things that I experienced that I will never use again, like skydiving, but I will always cherish the fact that I did it.

I have to be honest I kind of got lost at this point. Remember, I have auditory processing disorder (did I tell you that already?) Anyway he talked about helping others realizing their dreams. He talked about some of the work he did and the classes he taught, but what stuck out most to me was how his students became close to each other because of the interaction they had with each other. He put them in situations to depend on each other and work together while learning. It sounded like his students did not even realize that they were learning because they were having so much fun. Now I am not saying that all education should be like this but some of it absolutely should!

Next he discussed lessons he learned along the way and left advice to his children and others on things to consider when trying to realize their own dreams. These are some of the things he included:

• Do the right thing
• Karma does exist
• Apologize when you are wrong
• Be truthful
• You can't get there alone
• Don't complain, just work harder
• Show gratitude
• Accept criticism and learn from it

What amazing attributes to strive for. I would strongly recommend letting your own children and your students watch this lecture. They will be inspired.
(Be aware of some foul language. Some Christian schools or organizations could be offended)