Randy Pausch’s Last Lecture

In some blog or other I just stumbled upon this link to an incredible and inspirational video on YouTube.

Randy Pausch was a professor of computer science at Carnegie Mellon University. I say “was” because he died two days ago from pancreatic cancer. This video shows his last lecture, given last September, when he already knew he would not have much longer to live. The topic: Achieving your childhood dreams.

I know I am coming very late to this. According to the counter on YouTube this particular copy of the video alone has been watched by almost 4.5 million people to date (and I’m sure there are countless other copies of it floating around out there).

Honestly, I don’t even remember all that many of my childhood dreams, much less would I still be interested in achieving them today. Also I had never heard about the guy before and even after watching this lecture I am still a bit fuzzy on what it was he actually did for a living (besides teaching, of course). But what he had to say nevertheless touched me deeply, as I am sure it will everybody who takes the time to listen.

All I can say is that this man was one of the most impressive and admirable people I have ever known. His unbroken zest for life was remarkable, and I think what he has to say about how to live life to the fullest is a thing we all should listen to and take to heart. It’s incredible how he could be so funny and so touching and so true all at the same time. When my time to die has come (and if I should happen to get some warning in advance) I hope to be able to spend my last few months even half as dignified as this man.

I had tears streaming down my face half the time while watching this (as did half the audience). But more than anything else it was his last sentence that made me fall apart: “This lecture was not for you guys - it’s for my kids.” The thought of his 3 young kids watching this video at some point just breaks my heart. They can be very proud of their dad, but I guess they knew that all along.

There is also an interview with him on YouTube (first part of it is here) and it shows even more than the lecture his spirit, his will to fight and to enjoy life and to have fun until the very end. The only time that he struggles to keep his emotions under control is when he talks about his kids and his wife. He says, the only thing unfair about his dying so young is the fact that he won’t be there for them anymore.

I watched this interview and I cried the whole time. I know it’s probably stupid to get all teared up about the untimely death of some guy I have never even met. After all, there are thousands of people dying every day, many of them loving fathers and husbands. And it’s certainly not like he was a saint or something. But I do think people like Randy Pausch are a shining beacon of humanity and his death has left the world a little poorer.