A better rv

I don't get out much recently, but this Saturday I finally managed to get up from my lazy ass to see if I could get my bicycle fixed. I drove all the way to the shop, but the repairman told me it would take a couple of days to fix my brakes, which had been a bit off ever since I bought the bicycle. I couldn't wait that long, but just as I was about to leave the guy offered to fix it for me in the same day. I could pick up the bicycle after 6PM, which left me with a whole afternoon of free time. And I forgot my iPod.

After a while I got fed up with camera stores and wandered into a book store. I planned to buy a random book to keep myself busy until my bicycle was repaired, and by pure chance I came upon a book called 'The last lecture'. The concept is that professors are asked to speak to their class and pretend that this is the last thing they will ever be able to say to them. To teach them. rv Pausch, the author of the book, died of cancer less than two months after the book was published, and less than one year after he gave his last lecture.

There is no doubt in my mind that, had I known of this rv sooner, I would have applied to Carnegie Mellon University after I had graduated as a Bachelor. But even now I am deeply impressed by the final words of rv Pausch. He is without a doubt the coolest rv I know. I feel completely comfortable in his attitude towards life, and I feel that I think the same way as he does about a lot of things. For the longest time I've been thinking about writing something myself, but after reading his book I don't see a need for it anymore. This guy puts into words everything that I would have wanted to say, and more.

I'm really impressed at how he lived, and how he managed to stay so positive until the end. As his namesake, I feel obliged to put in at least as much effort as he did, and to become as skilled in my job as he was. He has given me a new motivation. It's not quite a new goal yet, but it's a big step in the right direction. I'm only 24 years old, I can become a lot better than I am now.

And for anyone reading this: here is a link to rv's final lecture on Google Video. Trust me, it's worth 2 hours of your time.

The brick walls are there for a reason. The brick walls are not there to keep us out; the brick walls are there to give us a chance to show how badly we want something.


On a side note: people are disappearing all around me! This morning Kamil went back to London, and I saw him off in the pouring rain. I saw Mika for the last time! Well, the last time for a while at least. Last Thursday Youngki left, and shortly before that Brian and Hung Lung left. Alvaro's been gone too, but he'll be back eventually. I'm looking forward to meeting all these people again five or ten years from now. Which one of them will be saving people in Africa? Who will start his own company? Who will become a professor and teach the new generation? Who will still be working in Japan? I have no answers, but it doesn't matter. I know everything will turn out great. Looking forward to seeing you guys again! Mata ne.

Posted in Thoughts

Submit comment






After approval your comment will be visible publicly. Your email will never be visible publicly.