Carpe Diem – an Essay on Life

Carpe Diem – Seize The Day

In the commercialized world we occupy, only by living life enthusiastically, and lovingly, can people overcome the monotony and truly be happy. Not only does Morrie’s life illustrate this, but so do some examples from my own life, and also from the movie Dead Poet’s Society.

          In the memoir Tuesdays with Morrie, by Mitch Alboum, the beloved college professor Morrie is slowly dying, and many of his former students come to him to glean his wisdom, including the author himself.  Morrie shares his immense wisdom in the form of aphorisms, amazing pieces of advice that will improve the lives of anyone who takes them to heart. During one of their many meetings, Morrie tells Mitch that “So many people walk around with a meaningless life. They seem half-asleep, even when they’re busy doing things they think are important. This is because they’re chasing the wrong things.” (43) He goes on to say how the way you get meaning into your life is to devote your life to loving others, and giving back to the community. This really speaks to Mitch, because he has been living exactly the way Morrie describes it, diving into his job as a sports reporter and devoting himself to nothing else in his life. Morrie shows that by living life to the fullest and doing rewarding things like being a college professor or reaching out to others, you can lead a rich and fulfilling life.

          This lesson is further illustrated in my own life, when I moved to Naperville 3 years ago. I spent most of my golden years in Potomac, Maryland, and after moving to the midwest I never thought I would be happy again. I blindly went to school every day, filled with depression, still trying to live in the past that I was comfortable with. After awhile, I realized that didn’t work, and started listening to a lot of music and other inspirational things to try and find meaning in this new home. That was when I discovered that I had been living “half asleep”, as Morrie described it, and I needed to start reaching out to other people and appreciating life. I started to make friends, enjoy school (at least a little) and joined a local soccer team. Looking back three years from then, I’m proud of everything I accomplished, and wouldn’t change anything. Because of my realization, I could finally get what I wanted in life, and was finally happy. I still visit my friends in Maryland, but I don’t let it overwhelm me and I can still have a great life here. Without reaching out to people, playing on the soccer team, and generally loving other people, I never would have made it where I am today.