Ms. McDowell

I read The Last Lecture today, the book that is based on the last lecture given by the Carnegie Mellon professor Randy Pausch, who passed away just a couple of months ago from pancreatic cancer.

It is a sentimental book, full of feel-good optimism and, many would say, full of cliches. But I don't think anyone can doubt its sincerity or that it touches a chord in....well, all of us. At some point in our lives, we feel the need to distance ourselves from cliches, from the overly sentimental and what we might call the cheesy. But here are a few words on cliches:

"After all, even on cliched phrases, you could hoist true emotion." (The Inheritance of Loss [Desai] 232)

"So I have gone all the way around Robin Hood's barn to arrive at the old platitudes, which I guess is the process of growing up." (The Caine Mutiny [Wouk] 505)

These quotes, obviously stripped of their context, might not resonate for you the way they do for me. But I like these quotes. What does it matter if something is cliche or cheesy if it is sincere and true?

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Ms. McDowell, my tenth grade English teacher, has been one of the biggest influences in my life. Like Randy Pausch, however, she got cancer at a young age and passed away some years ago. As a teacher, she imparted to her students a passion for literature, beauty and critical thinking...things that I can't seem to shake from the way that I view life.

After reading The Last Lecture, I tried to remember just a couple of the aphorisms/pieces of advice that she shared with us. For me, these McDowellisms contain infinite wisdom and are guideposts that I have come back to continually in my life. Here are a couple off the top of my head. If you are reading this post, and by any chance had Ms. McDowell, perhaps you can help me grow my collection. Or perhaps you have a collection from a teacher of your own.

1. If she ever sensed that her students were particularly stressed, she would say, "Don't worry. You will live just as long and just as happily."

2. The idealism of a few can change the world.

3. You have to be consciously aware to be a fully-functioning human being.

4. Learn a recipe from your mom, so that you can cook your favorite dish when you are away from home.

5. Write postcards to the people that you care about.

6. Boredom is the shriek of unused capacities.