I finished the book last night. The most obvious happened but there were a couple of unexpected events before Ben's passing. The story is a little more high impact (unrealistic) for my taste, but the author makes his point. What if you only had a year to live?
Who really knows how long we really have? Some people have an idea, but most of us really don't have that knowledge. Also, how long do our loved ones or the people in our lives have to live? So, whether we know our exact amount of time or not, how should we live our lives? Not just in general, but every day, what choices should we be making? Probably, the most important question that I took from the story was...how should we be treating others and how should we be treating ourselves? As serious as this all sounds, the book was an enjoyable read because the author uses wit and hope throughout the story.
This novel and message reminded me of another book I read a few years ago. It was The Last Lecture written by Randy Pausch. Randy was a man who knew his time was near because he had pancreatic cancer. I could always suggest you read his book or read articles about his life, or even easier watch a video on youtube. However, for me, I can become inspired by just a few quotes. Below is a link to a few of his best quotes that might interest you on a challenging day.
http://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/287960.Randy_Pausch
Here is a link to a video of Randy Pausch speaking. I highly recommend it.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji5_MqicxSo
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
Monday, September 9, 2013
My First Blog from Mrs. Murphy
Hi All!
The book I am reading is Deadline by Chris Crutcher. I am about halfway through it. I don't know why I picked this novel to read. I see a few others reading it. I would welcome the opportunity to chat with you about this book. The premise is very sad and that is not usually the kind of story I like to read for pleasure. The main character, Ben, is a senior in high school and he just learned at the beginning of his senior year, that he has only one year to live.. Ben doesn't tell anyone, including his family, that he is dying. In order to live his life to the fullest, he makes some very demanding goals for himself for his last year of life.
He isn't considered a typical football player but goes out for the team and does well. He likes to take on his civics teacher in class. Of course, this is to the delight of his classmates. Also, he decides he is finally going to get to know better the girl he has admired for a long time. His home life is interesting. His mother is not always able to be there for him because she has an illness. Ben is the one in the family who tries to help her the most. His father is as stable as can be, and a devoted family man, but his wife's illness puts a lot of strain on him. He has a superstar football brother, Cody, and he is a good brother and friend to Ben. If Ben isn't busy enough with his own goals or stress, he reaches out to a person in the community who others have written off as the town drunk.
On the surface, it all seems to others that Ben is having a great year in his little Idaho town where everybody thinks they know each other. How does he pull off not telling his parents? Well, he is 18 and he has required the doctor to keep his secret based on the privacy laws. The doctor insist he sees a therapist. So, far in this story, his plan is on course. Although, his therapist decided she couldn't take the emotional toll of keeping his secret, she dropped him. I found this disappointing because I enjoyed the banter between the therapist and Ben. You need to prepare yourself for a part of the book where Ben reflects upon a lot of issues. This comes like a dream sequence where Ben is talking to his imaginary "friend" He-Soos or Jesus.
So far, I am enjoying reading this book because of Ben's personality and wit. He is very bright and kind. Most of all, he makes some very witty observations. Sounds very heavy but so far it has not been that depressing. Ben is up to the challenge. I feel there is a change coming, or at the very least, a glitch in Ben's perfect plan. (Things are going too well, ya know what I mean?)
There is a lot of description about his football games which is my least favorite part. I realize this part could draw a lot of football fans into reading this story. I will have the story finished soon. However, I am avoiding reading the ending, for obvious reasons. I like Ben and I don't want to lose him.
Mrs. Murphy
The book I am reading is Deadline by Chris Crutcher. I am about halfway through it. I don't know why I picked this novel to read. I see a few others reading it. I would welcome the opportunity to chat with you about this book. The premise is very sad and that is not usually the kind of story I like to read for pleasure. The main character, Ben, is a senior in high school and he just learned at the beginning of his senior year, that he has only one year to live.. Ben doesn't tell anyone, including his family, that he is dying. In order to live his life to the fullest, he makes some very demanding goals for himself for his last year of life.
He isn't considered a typical football player but goes out for the team and does well. He likes to take on his civics teacher in class. Of course, this is to the delight of his classmates. Also, he decides he is finally going to get to know better the girl he has admired for a long time. His home life is interesting. His mother is not always able to be there for him because she has an illness. Ben is the one in the family who tries to help her the most. His father is as stable as can be, and a devoted family man, but his wife's illness puts a lot of strain on him. He has a superstar football brother, Cody, and he is a good brother and friend to Ben. If Ben isn't busy enough with his own goals or stress, he reaches out to a person in the community who others have written off as the town drunk.
On the surface, it all seems to others that Ben is having a great year in his little Idaho town where everybody thinks they know each other. How does he pull off not telling his parents? Well, he is 18 and he has required the doctor to keep his secret based on the privacy laws. The doctor insist he sees a therapist. So, far in this story, his plan is on course. Although, his therapist decided she couldn't take the emotional toll of keeping his secret, she dropped him. I found this disappointing because I enjoyed the banter between the therapist and Ben. You need to prepare yourself for a part of the book where Ben reflects upon a lot of issues. This comes like a dream sequence where Ben is talking to his imaginary "friend" He-Soos or Jesus.
So far, I am enjoying reading this book because of Ben's personality and wit. He is very bright and kind. Most of all, he makes some very witty observations. Sounds very heavy but so far it has not been that depressing. Ben is up to the challenge. I feel there is a change coming, or at the very least, a glitch in Ben's perfect plan. (Things are going too well, ya know what I mean?)
There is a lot of description about his football games which is my least favorite part. I realize this part could draw a lot of football fans into reading this story. I will have the story finished soon. However, I am avoiding reading the ending, for obvious reasons. I like Ben and I don't want to lose him.
Mrs. Murphy
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