Wednesdays with Morrie

When I lived in Boston in the 1980's, I used to love dancing so much that I sought out opportunities whenever I could. There were a few events around town where you could go just to dance. One of the more established events was called Dance Free, which was held every Wednesday night. People would bring mix tapes with different kinds of music, and nobody needed a partner--it was free form movement and as long as you didn't get in anyone's way, you could do, more or less, whatever you wanted. It was a great form of exercise and potentially a great way to make new friends. But mostly, it was about dancing, and it was a far different scene from the clubs where drinks and dating tended to give places a predatory energy. Dance Free was just about dancing.

On any given night, you'd see all kinds of people. Most were students or recent graduates of Harvard or one of the many other universities in the area. Others were young professionals who, like me, just wanted to get out without being hit upon by someone looking for a relationship. Some were older, and a few were much older. I really enjoyed seeing the occasional white haired man or woman who were having as much fun as any of us. I remember saying to myself "I want to be doing this when I'm their age". One of those dancers, I later learned, was Morrie Schwartz, from the bestseller "Tuesdays with Morrie".

I was flying to Paris a few years ago, and had ripped several audiobooks for my iPod to pass the time. "Tuesdays with Morrie" was one of the books I decided to listen to. When Morrie started describing how he'd go to Dance Free and as I heard the words, long forgotten memories returned. Morrie was the man I said I wanted to be like. Of course, I knew nothing about him, not even his name or profession. He was just someone who enjoyed dancing. If Mitch Albom hadn't written his bestseller, I never would have made the connection.

Connections rarely stand alone, and the same was true for Mitch. His book came about because one evening he sat down to watch Ted Koppel interview Morrie Schwartz for his 1999 ABC News series called Lessons on Living. Ted perceptively explored the issue of dealing with death with this former professor who was a brilliant and sensitive person. Upon seeing the program, Mitch decided to pay his former professor a visit, and this led to writing "Tuesdays with Morrie."

We're all connected in some way. You reading the posts on this website, me writing this story, connecting you with Ted, Mitch, and Morrie. We share a beautiful opportunity to learn from each other if we are open to each other. It's simply a matter of seeing the world through your heart.