"Tuesdays with Morrie" Inspiration Blog

The Most Inspiring Tuesday

If you have been perpetually reading my blogs for the past few months, it would be no secret that I have reading and analyzing the memoir Tuesdays With Morrie, written by Mitch Albom in 1997. While the book may include interesting anecdotes, including Morrie's developed friendship with television host Ted Koppel and the heartwarming classes taught by him, it became clear to me that the most inspiring aspect of the memoir was the many Tuesdays Mitch and Morrie spent together. Some discussed Morrie's methods of coping with the ALS disease, and others discussed the difficulty of discovering happiness for the majority of people. However, there was one Tuesday that really stood out to me as inspiring. This was the second one, in which they discuss how little Morrie feels sorry for himself, and why it isn't necessary for him to sulk about his misfortunes. In this blog, I will be discussing why this particular topic has caught my interest, and what it entails to me.

One of the very first reasons that this Tuesday stuck out to me was due to it's relation to my struggles with feeling sorry for myself, and how little I seem to refrain from it. After Mitch arrives to Morrie's humble abode, bearing Food as well, he asks Morrie if he ever seems to feel sorry for himself. Morrie then states that "I give myself a good cry if I need it. But then I concentrate on all the good things still in my life. On the people who are coming to see me. On the stories I’m going to hear." (57). This quote ties back to my life because it describes how I wish I can approach the sorrow I often feel for myself. Despite the immense privilege I have been granted, I still cannot seem to be satisfied. I may not want to admit this, but it is true. I could be having a completely amazing day, but one mistake or mishap can cause a great deal of stress for me. That's when the self-pity ensues. I ask myself questions such as "Why do I deserve this?" and "Can I please be someone else right now?". This is extremely problematic for, not only my peers, but also myself, and Morrie's approach is exactly what I would like to take. I do not want to completely eliminate sulking, but I do indeed want to keep it to a minimum.

Another reason that I found this Tuesday rather memorable was because of it's demonstration of how Morrie differs from many others struggling with disease or illness. Once Morrie shared his aphorisms with the audience, we were dumbfounded by them. How could such a disadvantaged man be so optimistic? Mitch even appears to be surprised by his words, stating "I thought about all the people I knew who spent many of their waking hours feeling sorry for themselves. How useful it would be to put a daily limit on self-pity. Just a few tearful minutes, then on with the day. And if Morrie could do it, with such a horrible disease ..." (57). Because of this large contrast, the audience is more easily inclined to view Morrie as a unique mentor, rather than a disease-stricken man grieving daily.

The final reason that I found the second Tuesday extremely memorable was because of the release of Morrie's views on his disease. While this could be tied back to the the previous reason, I do feel as if it was significant enough to be mentioned separately. While it's clear to us that Morrie's condition is fatal, this line of thinking does not seem to apply to Morrie. After Morrie states his thoughts on self pity, Mitch asks how it was possible with such a horrible disease. Morrie then replies, stating "It’s only horrible if you see it that way. It’s horrible to watch my body slowly wilt away to nothing. But it’s also wonderful because of all the time I get to say good-bye.” (57). This quote illustrates how little Morrie seems to care about the downsides of his illness, and how he would rather focus on how it has contributed to his life for the better.

 

"Tuesdays With Morrie" Book Blog

Tuesdays with Morrie Initial Reactions

I recently began reading the memoir Tuesdays with Morrie alongside many other students in my Accelerated Language Arts class, and I have paid my upmost attention to it's contents. From the moods/tones the author creates with their language, to the imagery that could be appreciated by even the toughest critic, I have put my full dedication into assuring myself that I understand the reading, and I, not for one word, have been sorry. Tuesdays with Morrie is the book I had been hoping we would eventually read for the longest time. A lighthearted, simple memoir with a good message of enjoying the life you are given. In this blog, I will be sharing my first impressions of the novel and how it has inspired me to cherish my life and the future ahead of me.

One thing that really stood out to me when reading was how simple and nonchalant the author's writing style is. My standards for simplicity may have been lowered, as our class just completed reading the memoir Night, which details a boy's dreadful experience in Auschwitz. I highly doubt this however, as many others who are also reading the novel seem to feel the same. Mitch Albom, the author of Tuesdays with Morrie, speaks to the audience as if they are an acquaintance, rather than an unknown reader. The second reaction I was able to notice was how entertained I was by Morrie's humor. Before reading the memoir, I had low expectations for humor in the novel, in fact, I imagined the Morrie to be an overall somber person, but I was completely wrong. His sense of humor had me laughing throughout and I always found myself wanting to read more.

Tuesdays with Morrie has not only entertained me for hours, but it has also inspired me to create something. Something that I hope to carve in my mind for life. And that is a Bucket list. A bucket list that not only covers goals I plan to achieve within the next 5-10 years or so, but for my entire life. The following is my complete Bucket List as of age 13:

• Receive a Leading Role in a High School Musical
• Have at least One Honor Roll Report Card under my Belt
• Be Accepted to UNLV
• Study Religion, Philosophy, and Psychology at UNLV
• Graduate College
• Become a Flight Attendant (When Younger)
• Successfully Raise Children as a Single Mother (Through Adoption or Sperm Donor)
• Become a Middle or High School Guidance Counselor
• Go on a Trip to Italy

40BC: Characters Blog

An Abundance of Katherines Characters
In my Accelerated English Language Arts, I am currently reading the novel An Abundance of Katherines, written by John Green, and so far, I am very pleased with the contents of the book. Not only are they plots and subplots relatable to it's demographic and rather realistic, but it also delivers to us a very memorable set of leading characters. These characters include former child prodigy and lover of all girls named "Katherine", Colin Singleton, his brash, tongue and cheek acquaintance Hassan Harbish, and the newly-met tour guide turned friend of theirs, Lindsey Lee Wells. These characters have shaped the novel a great deal, making the overall tone a mixture of comedy, joy, and at times, mystery. In this blog. I will be presenting my observations about the characters mentioned earlier and how they have shaped my overall view of them.

After witnessing the various actions and events involving the characters listed above, I have been able to put thought into a character I would like to have a personal conversation with. This character would be Colin Singleton. I would find a conversation with him particularly interesting due to his past as a child prodigy. Very little people in the world are born with an ability to comprehend complicated mathematics, languages, etc. at an early age, but Colin is a rare exception. In light of this, his upbringing was rather unique. Questions I would ask Colin would include the following:

- When did your family realize your early intelligence and how did they approach it?
- When did you realize your own intelligence?
- How did perform when placed in an environment with kids who possessed average intelligence?
-  How did perform when placed in an environment with kids who possessed your level of intelligence?
- How did your peers react to your early intelligence?


While An Abundance of Katherines may have a pretty innocent set of characters communicating with each other throughout, they still tend to act in certain ways as to where the reader forms a strong like or dislike for them. I am no different. As I flipped through the book page by page, I began to observe how the characters acted, inciting one of two reactions:
- "That was immensely admirable!"
- "Why would they do/say such a thing?"
One character that seemed to constantly invoke the former was Lindsey Lee Wells. Despite her occasional remarks of displeasure towards her mom, such as her sighs of annoyance when asked to close up her shop, that had me rolling my eyes, I overall found Lindsey to be a character who I was in agreement with her words. From approaching Colin and Hassan in a mature, pleasant manner, even when Hassan made rather questionable remarks, to scrapping her former "boring" tour script to a more lighthearted, nonchalant talk, the reader notices her humbleness and likability.

In lieu of this, there was a particular character who never failed to make me wish for their disappearance at times. This character would be, surprisingly, Colin Singleton. While I have stated in the past that I found his upbringing intruiging, I still cannot fathom the annoyance he provokes in me. This is primarily due to his perpetual infatuation with his previous girlfriends. From relating nearly any event to one involving a "Katherine" he had dated, to comparing the looks of those to them, I become mournful of a time where he hadn't spoken of a "Katherine", which became nearly nonexistent.


Despite my subjective views that I have just expressed, I often am able to forget about these feelings and ponder one characteristic in the characters. Importance, and after deep analysis of their actions, I have concluded which character I believe is most important to the plot. This character would have to be Hassan Harbish. While the novel may not revolve around him and his outlook, I still firmly believe that he could shape the events for the better/worse. From his tongue and cheek approach to various situations to his occasional brashness, I have found myself bemused as to his innocence. It is often hard to tell whether Hassan is the potential protagonist or antagonist, and this uncertainty incites the reader to keep a bird's eye on almost all of his dialogue/actions.

Life is Beautiful Reflective Blog

Life is Beautiful

Very recently, I had been granted the  opportunity to view the 1997 film Life is Beautiful, directed and produced by Roberto Benigni, and I was thoroughly amazed by the various attributes of it. From the charismatic nature of our characters, to the atmospheric effects used, I found it difficult to take my eyes off of the screen. But, in spite of my infatuation with the movie, I also put the contents of Life is Beautiful into further analysis, and what I found was intriguing. Not only did the movie exhibit a variety of different examples of humor, Struggle, and most importantly, life's beauty, but it also bared striking similarities to the book Night, written by Holocaust Survivor Elie Wiesel. I managed to gather a surplus amount of demonstrations of these qualities, and I will objectively discuss them in this blog. Not only will I present my findings, but also how they pertain to the theme of Life's Beauty.

One of the very first comparisons I was able to make between Life is Beautiful and Night was the Father-Son bonds established in both pieces of media. In Life is Beautiful, Guido, A Jewish shop-owner, his wife, Dora, and son, Giosue, are sent to a concentration camp by Nazi officers. Despite automatically being separated from Dora, Guido and Giosue manage to stick together all the way to liberation. During this time, the two, despite their already strong relationship, become closer and closer each day. From convincing his son that the Holocaust was simply a game to spare him from fear, to the son following each and every one of his father's instructions to survival, the two seemed to develop a bond that could compare to no other.

Let's look at Night now. In this memoir, 15 year old Elie Wiesel is sent to Auschwitz Concentration Camp, and much like in Life is Beautiful, he is separated from his mother, but proceeds to join his father in an attempt to survive the horrors of the camp up until liberation. In this excessive period of time, the two become heavily connected to each other, devoting a majority of their heart to helping each other remain sane. From Elie defending his father when he is perceived to be dead, to his dad comforting his son abundantly, it is apparent that the two would not possess the same level of hope if they were separated from the start. The relationship between them also remained during the passing of Elie's father, stating that he could never feel the same now that he was gone.

Judging by the descriptions, these two bonds are heavily correlated with each other. This is because of the strong attachment that the father felt to the son and vice Versace that was prevelant in both pieces of media. The second similarity between the two bonds was the apprehension of death. From Guido to Giosue, from Elie to Elie's father, it is immensely difficult to look past their fear of each other passing. This only increases as time goes by, causing each family to become protective over each other.

The second similarity to take into into account was the hope of unreality of the Camp and/or the Holocaust as a construct. In Life is Beautiful, Guido carries his son through the Concentration Camp, (going through certain procedures in an effort to not be caught of course). While doing this, Giosue expressed his concern about their safety which is quickly followed by Guido responding, stating its all "just a dream". After audiences caught a listen of this line, it was apparent that he was trying his upmost hardest to protect his son from inheriting a negative outlook on the situation. But this was not the only time a similar line was stated in a piece of media pertaining to the Holocaust.

In Night, the main character states almost a direct reiteration of this line. When first arriving the Birkenau, Elie is in absolute shock. He had never been to such a frightening place. In light of this fright, Elie begins to question the events around him. At one point, Elie asks the reader "Was it all just a dream?'. It is abundantly obvious that this line is nearly synonymous with our previous one, and despite perspectives contrasting, both cannot believe the severity of their situations, causing the characters to lose sense of reality.

In Life is Beautiful, the audience can witness a large variety of contrasting characters and atmospheres throughout, which incite different moods and tones. This has become a widely known fact to millions of viewers. From the carefree, upbeat persona carried by father Guido, to the worrisome Dora, the audience senses the chemistry, (or lack there of), between characters whenever they appear on screen. These characters and/or their chemistry can also incite various moods throughout the movie. Guido's humor and positive outlook on life can cause the movie to appear upbeat and comedic, while the frightening conduct of the Nazi Officers at the camp can cause the mood to become more negative and moody.

Another observation one can make about this movie is how true it stays to it's title, Life is Beautiful. Throughout the film, characters display actions and emotions that can incite the reader to conquer with the film's title. One of which is sacrifice. From Dora potentially risking her own life to reunite with her husband and son, to Guido allowing a Nazi officer to take his life in an effort to protect his son from the officers in question, the characters truly make us believe that those who love you will make such tremendous sacrifices to save you from harm's way. Life is also portrayed as beautiful through the positivity maintained by Guido throughout. Despite being just inches away from potential death at every second, Giosue's father cannot let go of the positivity he holds, which incites the audience to believe that they themselves can also due the same, which can make their lives much less stressful and more joyous.