This is a comment to the previous 2 by weesin and bvw. Morris Schwartz is the speaker of this quote;he was an 80 year old sociology professor dying of ALS. So don't tell him he doesn't know what he's saying. Have you even read Tuesdays with Morrie? Do you know the story? Because, if you did, you'd never have commented that. It says to devote yourself to LOVING OTHERS. In no way does he say it's meaningless to raise children. He tells you to chase the fire of life and not be miserable in a job you never wanted, living a stressful lie, when you could've seized the day doing something you love. Morrie is correct. The reason why you were upset by this is because society crams into you the false idea that money is the way to a successful life. It's not. Living it properly is how you know you've had a good run. Come on, if I'm barely twenty and I'm mature enough to understand this, you should.

Mitch Albom irritates me. When does he think that people find time to devote themselves to their communities? Or to creating things? Most of us are so busy working full time, raising kids and doing housework that there is precious little time for anything else. According to good old Mitch, I'm apparently "half-asleep" in a meaningless life. I guess it's easy for rich folk to talk about spending time doing anything other than working and raising kids...

How does Mitch Albom know this? Does he read minds, does he see the future, is he claiming prophetic enlightenment into the whole life and purpose of all, or at least "so many", people? He doesn't know! He's huckstering his own chosen life path. Sorry, but that ain't for everyone. Sometimes the most morose and selfish and vicious person has to be all that to get his purpose done. So I do understand. For example we all are or should be thankful for the expiration date labels on milk. But you know who made that happen? Gangster and vicious murdering Al Capone, when he was repurposing his bootleg transport and delivery appartus as Prohibition ended. Al got a stranglehold on the labeling tech before the other dairies, and bought out a big dairy to take over the milk market, getting law help by making date labeling mandatory. He also ran soup kitchens. Was he a kind man?