Randy Pausch, RIP

July 26, 2008

When I heard the news that Randy Pausch died this week, the news hit me hard.  I didn’t know him personally (for a blog post of someone who did know him go here) but like millions of people I saw his Last Lecture video .

I posted about his Last Lecture previously, I’ve bought his book (three copies, one for each of my kids) and the DVD.  He has had a profound influence on my life and my thoughts go out to him.

So today I found myself remembering another speech, another "last lecture" if you will, that happened a while back.  Jim Valvano, coach of NC State basketball, was dying of cancer and gave a speech on ESPN that has made it’s way to youtube.   The speech was 15 years ago, and he died at 47, like Randy. 

In his speech he said "you should laugh every day, you should think every day, you should have your emotions moved to tears."  He also said "cancer can take away all my physical abilities,  it cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, it cannot touch my soul, and those three things are gonna carry on forever."

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