It all started with a Google search about a year ago on ‘Books Every twenty-something-year-old should read’. Number two on one of the lists I came across was Tuesdays With Morrie by Mitch Albom. I wrote down all the books I came across but this particular one, alongside others I’m yet to get to, kept popping up. So I said why not? I ordered the book on Amazon but didn’t read it till about a year later. Procrastination or not, it was well worth the wait!
I’ve been back at Impact Africa Network for just over six months now and one thing has been consistent: Mentorship. Time and time again while giving our monthly progress updates, several people always shout out their mentors. So in my true spirit, I went down the rabbit hole to learn more about mentorship and why it is so important in everyone’s life.
I am no philosopher, but let me start with the origin of the word Mentor. Like most stories, it starts with Greek mythology. I won’t go into details but you can always learn more about the origin of the word here. Over the years, the personal name Mentor has been adopted in Latin and other languages, including English as a term meaning someone who imparts wisdom to and shares knowledge with a less-experienced colleague.
At the risk of contradicting myself, I will use mentor and teacher interchangeably. But like I said, I am not a philosopher… yet! However, there is a difference between a mentor and a teacher that is worth noting; teaching is about knowledge but mentoring is about the experience. I believe that we all need a teacher and mentor: If you can find both in one person, well, you might just have hit the jackpot as Mitch Albom did with his college professor, Morrie Schwartz.
After losing touch with his favorite college professor for sixteen years, Mitch finds himself watching an interview of him (Morrie) on Nightline hosted by Ted Koppel. The interview is headlined ‘A PROFESSOR’S FINAL COURSE: HIS OWN DEATH’. Mitch learns that his professor is suffering from ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease and his death is inevitable. After a while, he decides to go visit him and realizes that his last class with Morrie had just begun. They settle to meet every Tuesday after that, because since college, Tuesday has always been their day.
Over the course of Fourteen Tuesdays, Mitch flies to meet Morrie and learn from him on various matters to do with life. They talk about regrets, death, family, aging, money, culture, forgiveness, the perfect, and so forth. Mitch, who is a sports journalist, chooses to record these sessions on tape for future reference. Morrie refers to this as their last thesis together. As is the case with ALS, Morrie’s condition is on a decline and soon his biggest fear comes to pass, and someone has to wipe his ass. Through all this, Mitch still brings him solid food as he did on the first Tuesday because that was their culture.
I could go deeper into the details of the book but, you won’t get to read it for yourself (and what’s the fun in that ?) However, I will list a few key lessons and quotes I got from the book.
The first Tuesday -About the world
‘The most important thing in life is to learn to give out love, and to let it come in.’
The second Tuesday — About feeling sorry for yourself
‘Sometimes you cannot believe what you see, you have to believe what you feel. And if you are ever going to have other people trust you, you must feel that you can trust them too — even when you’re in the dark. Even when you’re falling’
The Seventh Tuesday -About Aging
‘ The truth is, part of me is every age. I’m a three-year-year-old, I’m a five-year-old, I’m a thirty-seven-year-old, I’m a fifty-year-old. I’ve been through all of them and I know what it’s like. I delight in being a child when it’s appropriate to be a child. I delight in being an old wise man when it’s appropriate to be an old wise man. Think all I can be! I am every age, up to my own.’
This should be on a t-shirt!
On the fourteenth Tuesday, they say goodbye. Twenty years after the publication of the book, Mitch still goes to visit Morrie’s grave. The only difference is Mitch talks, Morrie listens.
See the thing about mentorship is, you have to show commitment and consistency. You have to show up! That’s the only way you will learn and grow. And for mentors, teachers, coaches out there, ‘Giving is Living’. Give what you have to offer, be it your time, expertise or advice. It goes a long way.
At Impact Africa Network, as fellows, we are eager to learn, we believe the next person we meet knows something that could add value to us. We do this through sessions such as the Power to Our Women livecast series, Fireside Chats, and our Mentor Network program . We’re always happy to have our hands held, helps to get a better sense of direction, make better decisions and get unstuck.
Are you also tapping into this valuable resource of mentorship?
PS: After reading the book, try the movie too. From experience, books first, movies right after.
