–Dylan Thomas
A week ago, Lizette Tallon died unexpectedly. An academic assistant at the Darden School, she had been a member of our community for many years and is remembered for her warmth, gregariousness, and eagerness to help. We are saddened by this loss and miss her. Her presence is still felt, however, by the collection of sayings and famous quotations that she taped to the glass doors of her office. Regular themes in the quotations she chose were folk wisdom, faith, and humor. Over the years, I have stopped many times as I passed them, to see what was new and to try to connect the dots between one saying and the next. I often marveled at what Liz seemed to be telling us.
The week before, University of Virginia hosted a lecture on time management by Professor Randy Pausch, Carnegie Mellon University professor of computer science. Dean Jim Aylor of UVA’s engineering school wrote to me that “The lecture may be among Pausch’s last, as he was told in August that his pancreatic cancer had progressed and he has only three to six months of good health remaining. … Last September 18, he participated in an academic tradition at Carnegie Mellon called “The Last Lecture,” wherein top academics are asked to think deeply about what matters to them most, and then give a hypothetical final talk. Pausch’s lecture, entitled “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams,” attracted an onslaught of media attention. In addition to his Oprah Show appearance, Pausch was named “Person of the Week” on ABC’s World News with Charles Gibson on Sept. 21. His “Last Lecture” was viewed online more than a million times in the first month after its delivery. Pausch was a professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Virginia’s School of Engineering and Applied Science from 1988 until 1997. He served as a mentor to many young faculty members, including Gabriel Robins, a professor of computer science at U.Va.’s Engineering School, who was instrumental in bringing Pausch back to Grounds.” I commend these lectures to the reader.
Why did Liz Tallon tape inspirational sayings to her office door? Why did Randy Pausch, a man with a short time remaining to live, take the time to give lectures? I believe they shared an impulse to deliver a message about things that matter in the face of death and limited time.
Dylan Thomas‘ poem is a hymn to strong living in old age, to people facing “that good night.” His words are powerful: “burn,” “rave,” and “rage, rage.” Such words are motivating, but we must look beyond the poem for practical examples about what you and I might do differently tomorrow. Randy and Liz give us such examples—they help us see that to live strongly is to give Illumination about ideas and inspiration so that others might live brightly too. This means bringing energy, example, and light to important things as if today (or the near term) is all you have. Our students have opportunities to practice this every day in learning teams and classes. So do our faculty and staff. It’s a practice that loses its benefit unless you exercise it regularly.
The end of the second quarter is imminent. How will you end the term before we all close for the Holidays? Liz, Randy, and Dylan Thomas would urge us to live brightly in support of the values we hold dear.
Posted by Robert Bruner at 12/03/2007 10:07:08 PM