If you only had a short time to live, what would you do?
30th January, I was part of team of Student Leaders from Kampala International University (KIU) in Kampala which attended a public speech by Dr. Ambrose Kibuuka, a Life coach based at KIU. The Theme of the event was ” Exploring beyond your limits”. It was extremely interesting inspirational event; after the speech, i personally met Dr. Kibuuka and requested from him to recommend Books to read. He gave me the name of this book ” The last Lecture by Randy Pausch”. after a week I bought the book and read with in 2 weeks and informed him. It’s was incredible!
A lot of universities has ‘the last lecture’ series, talks given by professors, which reflects things matters to them and willing to pass on. Randy Pausch was Computer Scientist at Carnegie Mellon University; he was a father of three kids, Dylan, Chleo, and Logan, and husband to Jai. In September 2007, Randy delivered his real last lecture, ‘Really Achieving Your childhood Dreams’. In fact, Randy’s last lecture was about his youthful, energetic and joyful life and his diagnosis with pancreatic cancer and had only months to live. He said “I was trying myself to put in a bottle that would one day washed up in a beach for my children. If I were a painter, I would have painted for them. If I were a musician, I would have composed a music for them. But I am a lecture, so I lectured”. However, Randy was optimistic to be among the lucky ones to survive in order to spend his time with loved kids and wife.
During the mid of August in 2007, Randy was struggling the treatment of his cancer with the best specialised doctors, but unfortunately, the treatment did not worked well and he had three to six months to live. However, he did not cancelled the lecture to tackle his sadness and spend his left time to his loved ones. He was so energetic with the idea of the last lecture while his cheerleader, wife, Jai was leery of this whole last lecture idea. Since Randy’s Family have moved from Pittsburgh to south-eastern Virginia, jai was expecting to spend their time together with the kids rather writing a lecture and going back to Pittsburgh to deliver. Jai said to Randy “I want all of you. Any time you will spend working on this lecture is lost time, because it’s away from the kids and from me.” Another thing upsetting Jai was Randy has to fly to Pittsburgh for the lecture which was the day before Jai’s forty-first birthday. But Randy always has the fortitude to deliver the lecture, and he insisted “An injured lion wants to know if he can roar.”However, Jai travelled with Randy to Pittsburgh for the lecture since he wanted badly to be with her, and they left their kids to friends to look after on that day. Truly speaking, Randy worried about his three kids that they will remember him less or nothing since they are young. Dylan aged 5 years, Logan aged 2 years while Chloe was 1 years old, but the their dad was expecting that Carnegie Mellon University would record the lecture and give them DVD to know more about their dad.
During the lecture, Randy heavily focused on the lessons of living rather dying and talking about his medical saga. He received the best medical treatment, but after eight months the tumours were seen again which was tragedy to his life. Randy have never been pessimistic and did not made his life so gloomy; he was living any minutes in his life with fun. He emphasised time is the currency of life although it has taken to him up to 39 years old to Mary his lovely wife which he cares more about her happiness. Time is all we have, and we may find one day that we have less time than we think. Unfortunately, Randy lost his battle with pancreatic cancer in 25th July 2008.
The story of Randy has been influential, inspirational and heart-warming one; I learnt the value of time and how it must be essential to utilise our time and manage it rationally. Also, Randy’s story was teaching us to live our life fully and make the moments the best out of it regardless circumstance we face. Personally, I have learn from this story to live and own my life with joy and happiness and think beyond my self to impact others. Randy touch me the value of time and how to utilize it in appropriate manner. Finally, the way i see my self and world was shaped and upgraded with more clearer lenses by Randy’s Story since it has shaped my attitude.
If Professor Randy was able to lecture about life while he was dying, I am not sure if you would fail to read Randy’s story while you are life. Its a phenomenal book which I would love to read and reread over time and invite you to read with me, so we could make our lives best.