Goodbye Randy Pausch
Posted by Moses on Jul 25, 2008
Randy Pausch died today. I’m shocked. I knew that he would die of his pancreatic cancer, but I still didn’t expect him to die. Even more of a shocker, I just finished reading his book this morning. I had purchased his book, The Last Lecture
For those of you who don’t know, Randy was a computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University who was diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer in 2006. In September 2007, he gave a final lecture to friends, colleagues and students. In his lecture he discussed his the importance of living out your childhood dreams and helping others live out their dreams. It was released on Youtube and became an instant hit. It’s viewed by millions of people and spawned his final book.
Obviously, I didn’t know Randy, but his charming humor and gentle way seen so clearly in his last lecture and television appearances makes you feel like you knew the man. I know I will miss him. I know that seems strange, but I’m certain the world is a lesser place without him in it. His take on life while easily summed up in a cliche like seize the day, is refreshing and rings so true that after seeing his lecture or reading his book you feel compelled to reevaluate your life.
Unlike others who know that their time is near and paint themselves as a saint. Randy is quick to show his faults and praise others for transforming both himself and his life for the better. He wasn’t perfect, in his book he describes himself as recovering jerk. By doing so, he becomes more human and it seems realistic that we could all reach the same heights that he did in his career and personal life.
Randy has quality that I’m struggling to define. I think it’s that he touches you. In a very real way. I have had to stop several times in writing this to wipe away my tears. That’s the effect he has on people. I’m crying over a man I haven’t met, but will definitely miss.
I believe Randy is in a better place, but as I’m sure his family would agree we need him here.
Goodbye Randy. You are an inspiration to us all.
Tags: death, goodbye, last lecture, Randy Pausch
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It’s Been Awhile
Posted by Moses on Jan 28, 2008
It’s been a little while since I’ve written. A lot has changed in the last few months. I got married. I moved. I’ve experienced some of the happiest times in my life. It’s been fantastic. There has also been some sadness and tragedy. In this same period, I’ve have 1 friend and 1 family member die.
What does all of this mean for Three Sticks? First, it means that I’m back. I apologize for being out of the loop. I hope my explanation above is sufficient. Second, it means that the site will go through some changes. You can already see some of that with the redesign. I hope you all like it. I would love to get feedback. It should be faster than the previous version of the site. Lastly, it means that there will be more articles that focus on hope as I’ve found more of myself in these past few months.
All in all, I’m excited and I’m looking forward to a new year of writing and sharing.
— Moses
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