The Ultimate Irony

Many colleges host "last lectures," where professors share their wisdom as if it's their final opportunity before death. Randy Pausch, a respected computer science professor at Carnegie Mellon University, took part in their series, renamed "Journeys." His involvement is particularly poignant because he was battling pancreatic cancer.

Pausch faced conflicting feelings as he readied for the lecture. Despite being told he had only a few months left to live, he could have decided to cancel it. Married to Jai, and with three kids aged five, two, and one, Pausch knew he had little time left with his family. They recently relocated from Pittsburgh, where the university is located, to Virginia, where Jai's family resides. She felt sad because his flight back to Pittsburgh for the lecture coincided with her 41st birthday,  their final birthday celebration together.

Pausch realized his lecture could be a lasting gift for his kids, a way to show them who he was and what he believed in. With Jai’s approval, Pausch crafted a talk centered on living a rich, purposeful life and chasing your aspirations. On Sept. 18, 2007, Pausch, aged 46, spoke to a packed room of 400, including his wife. He kicked off by quoting his dad: “If there’s an elephant in the room, acknowledge it!” So, that's what he did: he began by explaining his illness and impending death.

Honoring Exceptional Parents

Pausch grew up near Baltimore in a sturdy middle-class household that prized morals and learning over material wealth. His mother, a determined English teacher, set high standards for her students and children alike. Meanwhile, his father, a respected World War II medic, fought for the less fortunate. Through his modest auto insurance business, he provided coverage for those in impoverished inner-city areas who would typically struggle to get insured.

The family spent money on what they needed and important things, not on going out for fun. Pausch's parents helped build a dormitory in Thailand to stop girls from being forced into bad situations. Their talks during dinner were interesting and made everyone think. If Pausch didn't know something, he'd check a dictionary or encyclopedia. He looked up to his dad a lot and tried to be like him.

Pausch's parents cheered him on to dream big and let his imagination run wild. He snoozed in a bunk bed his dad built. In high school, he jazzed up his room with neat decorations like a math formula, an elevator door, a submarine, chess pieces, and his version of Pandora’s box. Dad was all for it right away, and Mom, though she took a bit longer, ended up proud of her son's creativity. They never even thought about painting over those walls.

Dreams Do Come True

During his lecture, Pausch displayed a slide featuring his six childhood dreams.

• “Being in zero gravity”.
• “Playing in the NFL”.
• “Authoring an article in the World Book encyclopedia”.
• “Being Captain Kirk”.
• “Winning stuffed animals”.
• “Being a Disney Imagineer”.

In 2001, Pausch had a unique experience of weightlessness. His students pitched a virtual reality project to NASA for their zero-gravity plane. However, the faculty couldn't tag along. Pausch cleverly stepped in, "resigning" as faculty advisor and going as a journalist.

While Pausch never made it to the pros in tackle football, his coach, former Penn State linebacker Jim Graham, imparted crucial lessons. Graham emphasized the basics, hard work, and persistence, teaching players to build self-esteem through skill mastery and relentless practice. Pausch absorbed these principles and aimed to instill them in his students, facing challenges head-on, promoting teamwork, and exhibiting good sportsmanship.

From Encyclopedia Reader to Virtual Reality Contributor

Pausch grew up in a family that valued learning, encouraging him to explore knowledge actively. He was drawn to reading encyclopedias and eagerly awaited each year's updated editions. His dream of contributing became a reality when World Book's editors invited him to write about virtual reality.

Pausch looked up to Captain Kirk from Star Trek when he was young. He admired Kirk's leadership style and how he motivated his crew. William Shatner, the actor who played Kirk, visited Pausch's lab while working on a book about real-life technology inspired by Star Trek. Shatner spent three hours there, showing interest and asking questions. When he found out about Pausch's illness, Shatner sent him a signed photo of Kirk with a message from one of the episodes: "I don't believe in the no-win scenario."

Pausch's Heartfelt Gesture

Pausch got his dad’s love for those huge stuffed animals you win at carnivals. He had a bunch and showed them off in his final talk. He let people in the audience take one home. A student with cancer chose a big elephant. She said she did it to talk about something important everyone was ignoring.

Pausch's fascination with Disneyland began at the age of eight. After completing his doctorate in computer science, he applied for a job at Walt Disney Imagineering but was unsuccessful. In 1995, while working as a professor at the University of Virginia, he learned about Disney's venture into virtual reality, a field he was passionate about. During his sabbatical, he spent six months collaborating with the Imagineering team on the project.

Heading into Rough Waters

In the summer of 2006, Randy Pausch was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer, the deadliest type of the disease. He underwent extensive surgery, followed by chemotherapy and radiation, causing his weight to drop from 182 to 138 pounds. Although a January 2007 CAT scan showed no signs of cancer, another scan in August revealed that the disease had spread to his liver. His doctor informed him that he had only “three to six months of good health.” After receiving this shocking news, Pausch told his wife that he planned to make the most of every day. A vice president from Carnegie Mellon saw him driving in his convertible with the top down, tapping his fingers to the music on the radio, and later emailed him to express her admiration for his positive mood and attitude.

Learning about humility

Pausch had a big wake-up call during his time at Brown University. Back then, he was super smart but also kinda full of himself. He worked as a teaching assistant for this big-shot computer science professor who gave it to him straight: being so stuck in his ways was gonna hold him back. Pausch took that advice to heart. He realized how important it is to have people around who won't just tell you what you wanna hear, but what you need to hear.

A Matter of Perspective

Like his parents, Pausch didn't care much about stuff. When he was single, he often hung out with his sister’s kids. Once, he drove them in his brand-new Volkswagen convertible. His sister warned them not to mess up the car, which he thought was impossible. So, he poured soda on the backseat to show them that "people matter more than things." That weekend, his nephew got sick in the backseat; Pausch was happy he had already shown the boy that he wouldn’t be mad.

On a day when Pausch walked to work, Jai accidentally backed her minivan into his parked convertible. She spent the whole day anxious about his reaction. To make amends, she cooked his favorite meal and tried to be extra nice. But Pausch didn't make a big deal out of it. He decided not to fix the dent since both cars still worked fine. They just kept driving with their dented cars.

Dream the Possible Dream

Pausch, an eight-year-old at summer camp, eagerly watched Neil Armstrong prepare to step on the moon. But the camp directors sent the kids to bed before the historic moment. Luckily, Pausch's father understood its significance and photographed Armstrong's moon landing on the TV screen. This taught Pausch that seizing inspiring moments often requires flexibility and bending the rules. He realized that history is more important than sticking strictly to bedtime.

Don't complain Take action

Pausch grasped the value of attitude from his grad school landlord, a former standout athlete. Despite a life-altering accident and a breakup, the landlord didn't sink into self-pity. Instead, he became a counselor, got married, and adopted children without griping. Pausch also found inspiration in Jackie Robinson, who endured insults and threats to break baseball's color barrier. Whining about life's unfairness is pointless. It won't help; you'll remain miserable.

Your mood is your choice.

Many people facing terminal illnesses often think they can't enjoy themselves, but not Pausch. He and his family dressed up as characters from "The Incredibles" for Halloween, showing that fun is still possible. Pausch even went scuba diving with friends, avoiding talking about his illness and acting like a carefree teenager. He took proactive steps like getting a vasectomy and buying a new convertible after his diagnosis, keeping an optimistic outlook and even dreaming of recovery.

For the Family’s Sake

When Pausch faced the harsh reality of his situation, he couldn't ignore the thought of his children growing up without a dad. Instead of telling them about his illness right away, he waited until he started showing symptoms. Every moment with his kids became precious. He heard from people who lost parents young, and they stressed the importance of showing love openly. Pausch made special things for his children, like letters and videos just for them. He even left them something called "The Last Lecture," hoping it would help them feel clse to him as they moved forward in life.

After finishing his final lecture, Pausch brought out a big birthday cake and asked everyone to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jai. He felt lucky that instead of something sudden like a heart attack or car crash, cancer gave him and his wife a chance to get closer. He admired Jai's strength, toughness, and sensitivity. He encouraged her to find happiness, even if it meant marrying again. When the crowd finished singing, Jai came onstage. She and her husband shared a kiss and a hug.

“Please don’t die,” she whispered in his ear.