Tuesdays with Morrie: an Old man, a Young Man, and the Last Great Lesson by Mitch Albom - Book Report/Review Example

Name Professor’s Name Subject Date Tuesdays with Morrie: an Old man, a Young Man, and the Last Great Lesson by Mitch Albom: Reflection essay Introduction There is no need to look for wisdom in the texts of the books, it is better to look beyond them. The book Tuesdays with Morrie: an Old Man, a Young Man, and the Last Great Lesson by Mitch Albom is a masterfully written piece of fiction, which can be interpreted in different ways. The author provides us with a straw and we can stick our minds to a great inspirer and an elder mentor Morrie. It is evident that in our lives it is easier to exist if we have people, who are leading us through thick and thin under their spiritual and mental guidance. The Book and Me As for me, I am sure that elder people are wiser and it is very interesting to listen to their stories and life experiences. They are always ready to listen to you and support you. People who are older than me can tell me many useful things, share their experience. Their words are inspiring and guiding and there is a need to follow this thread. I believe that it is wise to learn from not my own experience but from the experience of other people. The most precious lessons are lessons about life. Sometimes our teachers are able to provide us with the information about life, but it is more important to free our minds and hearts and accept such kind of instructions readily. In that case we will light our inner worlds (Heller, 2005). Morrie wants to share his emotions about coming death. He does not intend to scare off the child; he just wants to share his realistic emotions with him. He perverted a perception of death from a destructive context into an inspiring realization of precious friendly relations. Moreover, Morrie wanted to tell the truth to Mitch about the society. He mentioned that all of us are living under conditions of social opposites. If to focus on this definition, we will see that it is truth: there are black and white stripes in our lives and only wisdom is leading us along them painlessly. Moreover, Morrie criticizes the conspicuous consumption of the contemporaries. People want to have more and more, but they are losing their self-identities and their own system of morals and values in this vanity of vanities (Pelletier, 2009). A spirit of the modern commercialization very often absorbs us and we do not have enough power to turn off our TV sets and ask ourselves: what do we really need? We forget about important values and wonderful, without which our life would be simply impossible. We forget what our existence is actually based on. Modern people are so much busy that they are used to consume, what they are told by ads to consume, to wear, what they are shown on TV to wear etc. A crisis of the lost identity is coming up… This book is a sing to prevent this destructive power of being lost in the world of consumption. I was greatly impressed by the desire of Morrie to gain new knowledge in the face of death. It means that this man had a young soul and open mind in spite of the fact that his life was coming to the end. It reminds us that the most important is not to let our soul become old. In the face of Mitch he saw his student, who could gain much from his life experience (Hyde, 2005). Morrie inspired Mitch and persuaded him that once Mitch finds the essence of life he would like to go forward. Moreover, the valuable ability of having an open heart underlines a great spiritual power of Morrie.    In the modern globalized word, it is very important to have an open heart in order to accept the issues of social diversity. To accept the differences of others and put up with their drawbacks or weaknesses is a great power of a human soul. As for me, I think that this book is a great contribution into my life considerations or philosophy of my life. Respect for elder people is an integrative component of a social behavior of the young generation (Hosseini, 2005). At the same time, the author of the book wanted to show that wisdom is the gift and enlightenment, which is available for people only through blessing. Maybe the author meant a wise communication with God? Morrie tells to Mitch about the importance of our beloved persons. Sometimes we may take them for granted or underestimate them, but in the end of our lives or having lost them, we clearly realize an invaluable contribution made by our closest persons. Moreover, Morrie claims that it is important not to lose one’s self or one’s integrity beyond the social tenets. It is a valuable lesson to find the truth and the essence of one’s being or one’s self (Hyde, 2005). Our inner selves are empty without a proper self-understanding, in case our inner emotional rods are absent. A feeling of love is the most reliable bonding agent, which helps us keeping ourselves together even in the face of death. A real love is something that cannot be lost or forgotten. It exists for years and it becomes the most reliable and authentic feeling of our lives. People who have such love are really happy ones. Love is something every person is eager to find and save. Conclusion Therefore, this book inspired me to think about the most important issues of my life, such as love and the essence of life and me. It made me analyze my inner world, my thoughts, wishes and needs. I found it very interesting to look inside of me and to find many puzzling answers. My teachers and my parents are my mentors, helping me to find the truth beyond these puzzles. The key issues of the book are the importance of mentorship and guidance, of sympathy and tolerance; of ability to listen to a wise speaker attentively and to evaluate the essences of ourselves and the modernity. Works cited Albom, Mitch. Tuesdays With Morrie: An old man, A Young Man, and the Last Great Lesson. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Heller, Katherine. "My Choice of a Lifetime: "finding True Love" in a Sociological Imagination." Human Architecture 3.1/2 (2004): 21+. Questia. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Hosseini, Sheerin. "Accepting Myself: Negotiating Self-esteem and Conformity in Light of Sociological Theories." Human Architecture 4.1/2 (2005): 29+. Questia. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Hyde, Michael J. "Acknowledgment, Conscience, Rhetoric, and Teaching: the Case of Tuesdays with Morrie." Rhetoric Society Quarterly 35.2 (2005): 23+. Questia. Web. 8 Feb. 2012. Pelletier, Jillian. ""Money Does Not Buy Happiness": Using the Sociological Imagination to Move beyond Stressful Lives." Human Architecture 7.3 (2009): 173+. Questia. Web. 8 Feb. 2012.         Read More