Saturday, August 02, 2008

The Last Lecture

The other day, Zewt wrote Live Your Best Life.

Today, I share with you an inspirational 'lecture' by Randy Pausch. Who is he? From wikipedia:

Randolph Frederick Pausch[1] (October 23, 1960July 25, 2008) was an American professor of computer science, human-computer interaction and design at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a best-selling author who achieved worldwide fame for his "The Last Lecture" speech on September 18, 2007 at Carnegie Mellon.

In August 2006, Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. He pursued a very aggressive cancer treatment that included Whipple procedure[2] surgery and experimental chemotherapy; however, in August 2007 he was told the cancer had metastasized to his liver and spleen, which meant it was terminal. He then started palliative chemotherapy, intended to extend his life as long as possible. At that time, doctors estimated he would remain healthy for another three to six months. On May 2, 2008, a PET scan showed that his cancer had spread to his lungs and some lymph nodes in his chest, and that he had some metastases in his peritoneum and retroperitoneum.



~The Short Version~

Quoted from The Last Lecture website:

On September 18, 2007, computer science professor Randy Pausch stepped in front of an audience of 400 people at Carnegie Mellon University to deliver a last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams.” With slides of his CT scans beaming out to the audience, Randy told his audience about the cancer that is devouring his pancreas and that will claim his life in a matter of months. On the stage that day, Randy was youthful, energetic, handsome, often cheerfully, darkly funny. He seemed invincible. But this was a brief moment, as he himself acknowledged.

Randy’s lecture has become a phenomenon, as has the book he wrote based on the same principles, celebrating the dreams we all strive to make realities. Sadly, Randy lost his battle to pancreatic cancer on July 25th, 2008, but his legacy will continue to inspire us all, for generations to come.

*my morbid thoughts*

When I was younger, we always liked to do our own palm reading. We read those weekly column in the papers about palm reading, about Heart Line, Head Line, Life Line. And there's this part about my Life Line. My Life Line seems surprisingly, short.

During that time, of course I got a lil' worried. Who wouldn't be? Moreover, I was afraid of Death then. Now? Now I probably feel indifferent. Sort of. But of course, when I see my Valentine Niece, sadness would cloud my mind. A bit. *snaps out*

OK, so where was I? Oh yeah, short Life Line...

As I looked at my Life Line a while ago, the one on my left palm has sort of grown a lil' longer, but the one on the right is still trying to "connect" to another line. And I thought, hmmm... OK.

But what is it actually that I want to put it in writing here is that every now and then, I can't help but to think "When will my time be up?" Sometimes when I'm driving, I'll have these crazy tragic thoughts of crashing... accidents... scary stuff they are... but I can't help having those thoughts. More so when lately, there were a few tragic accidents happening here and there...

Morbid, huh?

Right away after those thoughts surface, I'll check on my speedometer. I'm now a lesser demon than I was before :-)

Sorry ah, no conclusion for this entry. I just wanted to write whatever. I'm going to try to get that Last Lecture book later. I feel inspired. Somewhat.

~The *real* Last Lecture in September 2007~

For more videos on Randy's interviews and lectures, you can check out Randy Pausch's legacy here.

23 comments:

day-dreamer said...

Happy weekend. :)

Anonymous said...

I've seen the book at the bookstore. I think my daughter has it. Tney said not sad or moving; I prefer stories that can make one cry!!!

may said...

yep, "attended" the lecture, even bought his book. good learnings. look for the one he did on Time Management, also on YouTube... ok la no need to look, here's the link:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTugjssqOT0

inspiring. very. totally.

goolypop said...

Aiyo.. we so same, chaborsoon.. See lar, all my bad genes i inherit to u.. Im obssessed with death, thats y i like to watch/read anything with death.. sad endings with ppl dying, I very like. I not sked i die.. I sked ppl i love die.. so i think i watch/read to anticipate the inevitable deaths of loved ones.
Suituapui, i rekomen u THE LIFE OF ALEX, a girl who died at 8.. Her dad wrote the account. Every page also can cry.. *sing CRY ME A RIVER* I blogging ka? So long geh..:P
HKK Ahmar

Pink Cotton said...

bah! streamyx is so slow..still loading the video..so while waiting i better psot a comment..

yeah..once a while i would think about death...esp when there's some ppl i knwo who just passed on...

but then again i told myself...if im gonna spend time worrying about how i m going to die, might as well live life as if its the last day rite? oh well, easier said than done 'x'

Aiyah Nonya said...

Hey angel

Nice to see you around again.
Re - the palm reading I don't really believe in it.
One fortune reader once told me I will be super rich and no need to worry about $$$ at all and did it materalizie - nope, it did not.

Have a lovely weekend. Hope to see you around more.

rainbow angeles said...

Dear day-dreamer,
Happy Sunday!

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Dear suituapui,
I think the book is not meant to move ppl or to make ppl sad lar.. it's meant to inspire... then make u have that kind of "semangat" to live a 'better' life ;-)

I dun like to cry leh...

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Dear maymay,
Hey, misschu!!!

I saw the lecture on Time Management but have not "attended" it yet :-) thx for the link!

I wanna be inspired...
I also wanna inspire... at times... :-)

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Dear goolypop,
I'm not really obsessed with death leh... I hate sad endings.. actually, I dun like sad sad wan... saaaad moviesssss always make me cryyyy... (ok la, not real wan.. i seldom cry at movies :P)

Suituapui will be away for a few days... he'll see yr rekomendasi when he cums back on Tuesday hehe...

U are always welcum to blog here wan.. u can oso brog in my cbox *wink*

Coming back to death hor... sometimes i wonder, if die liao, will we know if we died? will we kambek in the form of spirits? Hmmm... some veli mind boggling stuff, heh! But I not obsessesed with it... well, ok, maybe oni sometimes... sometimes oni lar!! :P

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Dear pink cotton,
Stimix is oso veli slow over at my place... wait until can zzzzz.

Ppl say that there are more deaths during the Hungry Ghost month.. did u notice that? And today oledi 3rd day of the 7th month...

Yes yes, EVERYTHING is easier said than done.. but what's important is that we have no regrets in life... ;-)

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Dear aiyah nonya,
Thanks for still coming around... I've been lazy hehe...

Hey, maybe your time to be super rich is not here yet leh.. maybe you WILL be super rich one day... but that time, dun forget abt me, ok? hehe...

You have a beautiful Sunday! Your favourite day of the week.. I'll never forget that ;-)

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IguanaKia said...

Aiyo...reading books ah?...not my type lah...

But cheers, stay happy is my life :)

zewt said...

wow... i never thought he only lost his battle on july 25th this year!! that was only slightly more than a week ago!!

the world lost a worthy soul.

and now... what do we learn from all this?

Anonymous said...

i watched this lecture last year. :D very very inspiring huh? glad to hear back from u again! :D

mistipurple said...

i very morbid a few years liao.

rainbow angeles said...

Dear iguanakia,
I ditto you! Staying well AND happy is also my life ;-)

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Dear zewt,
It's unfortunate that I have not come across the lecture before he passed on...

What have I learnt so far?

Tell.the.truth.
All.the.time.

I just got his book. Hope to finish it in the next few days :-)

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Dear ehon,
Good to see you again too :-)

I'm inspired.
And I also wanna inspire ;-)

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Dear misti,
Let's try not to be morbid, aye? ;-)

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Anonymous said...

I actually finish watching both the long and short video
Now all I need to do is figure out the head fake
Hmmm
Real inspiring fellow.
:)

narrowband said...

Inspirational stuff. But don't think too much lah when driving. Just stay alert but don't keep your eyes off the road (but on the speedo?) too much!!

Huei said...

my lifeline is very short too..the one on my left palm is no where near joining with the other longer line..the one on the right is joined..hmm

actually i always have fear of accidents. everytime i see traffic accident news i just get really really worried..>.<

nooo!! i dun wana spend my life worring about the end!!

nvm..live a happy life!! =D

rainbow angeles said...

Dear zeroimpact,
Haha... he oledi gave the two head fakes at the end mar.. ;-)

I find that the important "lessons" to be learnt are the ones he mentioned at the end of the lecture...

Hope you managed to take away some life lessons from him :)

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Dear narrowband,
Sometimes when driving, I feel like "dreaming"... like as tho' I dreamt and suddenly I sudah reach my destination... kinda scary at times...

And u know what, we can be the most careful drivers on the road but due to the negligence of other ppl, sometimes we become the 'victims'... choichoichoi... mou si mou si... :-)

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Dear ah huei,
Wah, u terbalik with me...

Yeah, let's not worry.. don't worry, be happy :-) You too must do that, ok! Ganbatte!!

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Chen said...

Hah? now is already 7th month in chinese calendar liao ah? I'm so lost liao, after holidaying for few days. No wonder there are so many ghost movies on tv liao lah :P

i guess most of us will have morbid thoughts occasionally. Well, we are human mah. Besides ocipala thought, we can ponder seriously too. But whatever it is, looking at ah boy will always made me smile. Unless when he is nottie lah. Oops, terpesong pulak :P

btw, my life line on my palms also putus-putus wan, and i noticed that since primary school time already. But i don't care already lah. Enjoy whenever we can since life is short :P

Wah.. i write so long liao ah? Haven't write cheong hei comments for ages liao :P

Aodian said...

deep stuff.. Well looking back on thing I have a major phobia of death.. I hate thinking about it and even the slightest thought is enough to keep me awake all night. But people come to go. So we might as well go with a piece of the earth, a piece of wat we gained when we arrived.
I feel that best through my music..

Trinity said...

hey hey heeeeiii... I've been writing my comment here several days ago but off before I publish my comment? *doh* I even visit the page you provide about him and read it I tell you...

I will try to search for his book..:-)

*hugs to you Angeles*
Love ya!

SamSeiko said...

i dun believe in palm reading :D because our fate is in our hand not the written palm :P hmm duno i write out correctly or not hehe but i dun believe it la...maybe u shouldn't too XD

Trinity said...

Angeles, is LB back to Italy now? I am wondering where is he now??? do you know?
how about Lisa? is she ok?

rainbow angeles said...

Dear chen,
This Flyday is halfway through the 7th month liao.. got ghost movies on tv ka? I no watch ler.. also, no ghostly stories for me!! Takutttt!!

Your comment not ocipala leh.. veli serious.. last time i dun hv such morbid thots this often.. oh well... maybe cos not-so-young anymore, that's why?

I welcum our cheong hei comments with open arms... hehe...

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Dear Aodian,
In some ways, I think most of us are afraid of dying... I'm glad to know that you found your outlet thru' music :-)

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Dear Trinity,
I got the book already :-) Hugz back! Missed your sampat ways! Hehe.. *replied you about all the ppl who are MIA*

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Dear EliteVillain,
OK, point taken.. I don't actually 'believe' it cos I've not had a proper "reading" done b4.. dun think I will also lor... :-)

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Trinity said...

eh? replied already? what did you say about MIA friends? heehehe