100 Business Days Out: Day 79 - Randy Pausch

The day after Tim Russert died, I stopped and reflected on him. The same should be done for Randy Pausch after his death on Friday. I never knew Tim Russert, although I felt like I did on TV. When he died unexpectedly, it came as a shock to the country (and world) and tributes poured in from all over. His death sent waves through me and others that I know as we have talked about him a number of times since his death. I did know Randy Pausch. I was a part of the team who brought him to EA where he spent his last sabbatical time doing research for us on what would be the best course curriculum on how to teach someone to make videogames. In his "Last Lecture" he mentions about how after a few days at EA someone came in and told him that EA had made a decision to make a large donation to another university to fund their game development program (USC). That person was me. I remember distinctly how Randy handled that conversation. He was not happy. He was mad. But he was not angry. What I mean about that difference was that he channeled his emotions and immediately began putting to work what he could do to make the situation different. In a manner of minutes he had planned how he and I should go meet with the President of Carnegie-Mellon for me to explain the situation (the situation being that we/he didn't want to be pulled back to CMU because the university officials would think that he is wasting his time at EA) and what EA could still do with CMU in the future. Later we did take that trip and it was a good meeting and one that did lead to other ventures with CMU and EA, and saved face for Randy. What was so striking to me when I first say Randy's Last Lecture (and the subsequent global outpouring that he received) was that he approached his death just like he did our meeting of bad news. He got mad, not angry, and then accepted it and channeled the energy into doing something better to change the course. In his death (or last celebration days of life) he touched many many people around the world. People who never knew him, but felt like they did now. He was a remarkable man. And, like Tim Russert, for how human understanding of how things are supposed to work, was taken too soon. But, one never knows what they are put here for and sometimes may never know. For like Tim and Randy, it is in their deaths that so many others have learned so much and will likely live their own lives to a fuller degree because of the way they closed the last chapter of their own lives. Both premature, but both chocked full of life lessons and examples for others to follow long after they are gone. Thank you Randy Pausch for being who you were. I am better and proud to have known you.

Randy Pausch - Make the most of "now" while we have it

I got to know Randy when he came to EA for a semester on his sabbatical. I tried as hard as I could to recruit him come and take over EA's Education Program. I was also the guy who had to tell him that while he was there, that EA had made a donation to USC for $8MM. I ended up going to Carnegie-Mellon to meet with their President and Randy so that Randy didn't lose face there. Wow, am I glad that Randy didn't take the EA job. Last night I watched the Diane Sawyer special and have been following all of the articles, etc about his Last Lecture. The number of people he has touched really makes me think that Randy was put on the earth for this moment. Lives are being changed by him making one 90 minute lecture. Randy doesn't talk about whether or not God has His hand in this for him but it is easy to see that the good that comes from what Randy is going through is being used. A few weeks ago we received an email from one of our neighbors in Rhode Island who told us that her husband had been diagnosed with brain cancer. We went on the internet to try and determine how bad it was. It's bad. Last week we got an email directly from him and it was full of funny things that happened at the hospital, a positive attitude and a resolve that he, like Randy, was going to play the best hand that he was dealt and play it well. I am encouraged and amazed by the strength that we see in these people. They have made my life better by knowing them when they were healthy and maybe even more so in their difficult times. What a lesson for all of us in the times when we think we are down and out on our luck. And, when the times are good, it becomes even more important that we make the most of "now" while we have it.