But my old professor had made a profound decision, one he began to construct the day he came out of the doctor｀s office with a sword hanging over his head. Do I wither up and disappear, or do I make the best of my time left? he had asked himself.
He would not wither. He would not be ashamed of dying.
Instead, he would make death his final project, the center point of his days. Since everyone was going to die, he could be of great value, right? He could be research. A human textbook. Study me in my slow and patient demise. Watch what happens to me. Learn with me.
Morrie would walk that final bridge between life and death, and narrate the trip. (10)
Why?
"Well, for one thing, the culture we have does not make people feel good about themselves. We｀re teaching the wrong things. And you have to be strong enough to say if the culture doesn｀t work, don｀t buy it. Create your own. Most people can｀t do it. They｀re more unhappy than me--even in my current condition. (36)
"You see," he says to the girl, "you closed your eyes. That was the difference. Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel tht you can trust them, too--even when you｀re in the dark. Even when you｀re falling." (61)
"I simply say, ｀there is no experience like having children.｀ That｀s all. There is no substitute for it. You cannot do it with a friend. You cannot do it with a lover. If you want the experience of having complete responsibility for another human being, and to learn how to love and bond in the deepest way, then you should have children." (93)
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