What Makes Me Unique?

As I wrote a few days ago, I recently read “The Last Lecture”, by Randy Pausch, I have been chewing and chewing on what was in that book. As I have tried to talk about it, I’m not sure it makes sense to anyone else. Maybe that is what makes me unique.

When we can relate to a topic, book or teaching we are apt to remember it longer. I will probably remember this book for some time to come. “What makes me unique”, was the question that Randy answered to prepare for the lecture. He said Cancer does not make him unique there are thousands of people around the world with cancer.

He prepared for this lecture by going through all the pictures he had and put them in a PowerPoint presentation. It was at that point in the book that he had me. I do the very same thing. For every blog post I do I have to find a picture to go with it. When I write a paper or article for work, I create it in PowerPoint as a presentation first and then write the ‘script’ that goes with it, the words come after I see the pictures. I thought I was unique in that.

Then he writes about the day sitting in the doctor’s office when he gets the news that he has cancer. That is a moment that even though I was in shock, I remember the room. Not the words of the doctor, but the picture of a woman in a pink dress with black shoe and a black belt. I thought I was unique in that.

He is a man that has gotten into trouble because he takes things literally, when he talks you need to take it at face value and not read anything into it. He means what he says and only what he says. I have had to learn to be careful and vague. I am not unique in that.

That is what stuck me most about ready this book, how so much like him I am. And yet, I am very different and unique in other ways, but it truly was a blessing to know that I wasn’t weird.

The Last Lecture

I flew home from Costa Mesa this evening; I arrived at the airport and got through security about 20 minutes before the plane was to board. As usual I head to Hudson’s to check out the New Arrival and top selling books. I have a book with me that I am reading, but I always look to see what’s new. One caught my attention tonight, The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch, so I bought it.

As I stood by the gate waiting to board the plane I started to read. I finished it as we taxied to the gate at SeaTac. This small book, only 206 pages, holds so much wisdom and insight. I could relate to this author on so many levels, I just couldn’t put it down. I had heard about this guy but never really paid much attention.

The book is full of so many profound one liners I could probably list over a dozen of not here, but I will leave that for those of you that want to read the book, but this one is one that so good I just can’t resist; “Brick walls are there for a reason. They give us a chance to show how badly we want something.”

I will be processing this book and possibly reading it again for the next few days but for tonight I will just say it is a must read.