Tuesdays with Morrie
An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
Chapter One
The Curriculum
The last class of my old professor's life took place once a week in
his house, by a window in the study where he could watch a small
hibiscus plant shed its pink leaves. The class met on Tuesdays. It
began after breakfast. The subject was The Meaning of Life. It was
taught from experience.
No grades were given, but there were oral exams each week. You were
expected to respond to questions, and you were expected to pose
questions of your own. You were also required to perform physical
tasks now and then, such as lifting the professor's head to a
comfortable spot on the pillow or placing his glasses on the bridge
of his nose. Kissing him good-bye earned you extra credit.
No books were required, yet many topics were covered, including
love, work, community, family, aging, forgiveness, and, finally,
death. The last lecture was brief, only a few words.
A funeral was held in lieu of graduation.
Although no final exam was given, you were expected to produce one
long paper on what was learned. That paper is presented here.
The last class of my old professor's life had only one stude ... read full excerpt from Tuesdays With Morrie ebook
