Tuesdays With Morrie
Mitch Albom
1997
Doubleday Broadway Publishing Group; Random House Inc.
Precis of The Seventh Tuesday We Talk About the Fear of Aging
Morie no longer had any privacy. The only things he could really do for himself were to breathe and swallow food. Morie's initial thought was to fight the disease but decided to forget that because he realizes that culture says we're not allowed to be reliant on others. Morie actually enjoys his dependency because he feels like he's a baby again.
The topic of the discussion was the fear of aging. On his way to Morie's house, Mitch observed many billboard ads. He realized the models were no more than thirty five years old. Morrie says "All this emphasis on youth, I don't buy it." Morie believes that the young are miserable as well as unwise. Morie also says that "if one were to stay at the age of 22, they'd always be as ignorant as they were at twenty-two."
Morie believes that people have unsatisfied and unfulfilled lives which is why they want to be young again. Morie envies young people because they can go to the gym and swim and dance. Morie tells Mitch that he is every age that he has ever been.
Gems of The Seventh Tuesday We Talk About the Fear of Aging
"We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it"(116)
Most people would feel extremely violated if they had someone washing them, feeding them, and wiping their butt. Morrie did at first, but he's realized that we must embrace all age. If we don't love life, we will be unhappy forever.
"I worked out constantly. Watched what I ate. Checked my hairline in the mirror. I had gone from being proud to say my age- because of all I had done so young- to not bringing it p, for fear I was getting too close to forty and, therefore, professional oblivion.(117)
Mitch is doing the exact opposite of what Morrie is doing/saying. Mitch is trying to hide behind his age, and stay as youthful as possible. He is ashamed to be where he is in life and doesn't embrace a potential receding hairline or the possible belly of a forty year old man.
"The truth is, part of me is every age. I'm a three-year-old, I'm a five-year-old, I'm a thirty-seven-year-old, I'm a fifty-year-old. I've been through all of them, and I know what it's like. I delight in being a child when it's appropriate to be a child. I delight in being a wise old man when it's appropriate to be a wise old man...I am every age, up to my own" (120,121)
Morrie makes a point; we've all been every single age up to the one we are now. So I have been a 1-year-old, I have been a 13-year-old, and I am a 16-year-old. I am every age up to now, this exact moment. With each year, each minute, I learn something new, thus progressing my views on the world and life; increasing my "wiseness".
Morie no longer had any privacy. The only things he could really do for himself were to breathe and swallow food. Morie's initial thought was to fight the disease but decided to forget that because he realizes that culture says we're not allowed to be reliant on others. Morie actually enjoys his dependency because he feels like he's a baby again.
The topic of the discussion was the fear of aging. On his way to Morie's house, Mitch observed many billboard ads. He realized the models were no more than thirty five years old. Morrie says "All this emphasis on youth, I don't buy it." Morie believes that the young are miserable as well as unwise. Morie also says that "if one were to stay at the age of 22, they'd always be as ignorant as they were at twenty-two."
Morie believes that people have unsatisfied and unfulfilled lives which is why they want to be young again. Morie envies young people because they can go to the gym and swim and dance. Morie tells Mitch that he is every age that he has ever been.
Gems of The Seventh Tuesday We Talk About the Fear of Aging
"We all know how to be a child. It's inside all of us. For me, it's just remembering how to enjoy it"(116)
Most people would feel extremely violated if they had someone washing them, feeding them, and wiping their butt. Morrie did at first, but he's realized that we must embrace all age. If we don't love life, we will be unhappy forever.
"I worked out constantly. Watched what I ate. Checked my hairline in the mirror. I had gone from being proud to say my age- because of all I had done so young- to not bringing it p, for fear I was getting too close to forty and, therefore, professional oblivion.(117)
Mitch is doing the exact opposite of what Morrie is doing/saying. Mitch is trying to hide behind his age, and stay as youthful as possible. He is ashamed to be where he is in life and doesn't embrace a potential receding hairline or the possible belly of a forty year old man.
"The truth is, part of me is every age. I'm a three-year-old, I'm a five-year-old, I'm a thirty-seven-year-old, I'm a fifty-year-old. I've been through all of them, and I know what it's like. I delight in being a child when it's appropriate to be a child. I delight in being a wise old man when it's appropriate to be a wise old man...I am every age, up to my own" (120,121)
Morrie makes a point; we've all been every single age up to the one we are now. So I have been a 1-year-old, I have been a 13-year-old, and I am a 16-year-old. I am every age up to now, this exact moment. With each year, each minute, I learn something new, thus progressing my views on the world and life; increasing my "wiseness".
Response
I feel as though this chapter was not only about fear of aging, but the act of aging itself. Mitch is more concentrated on the fear, whereas Morrie is more concentrated on embracing aging; as to not be unhappy his entire life. I don't know who I necessarily agree with more; Mitch feeling that aging is bad, or Morrie, saying that aging is a wonderful experience. I would say that humans are never happy with where they are because something is always going "wrong". People are always saying "I wish I could go back to being 5 years old again. I wish I were in kindergarten again, so I could have nap time...I wish". And then I look back at elementary school and nap time; it was horrible. I was mildly bullied, but never said anything about it. I would get restless during nap time (as would everyone else). People take opportunities, like nap time for example, and completely disregard them. A five year old wants to play during nap time. A teenager wants nap time to be a class.
We all take life for granted. So I guess I would agree with Morrie; embrace aging, but more importantly, embrace life. Otherwise, opportunities will pass you by, and you'll always have regret.
No comments:
Post a Comment