Its individuals like John Updike that have a huge impact on people, but its not until they die that it happens. John Updike was a Pulitzer Prize winning novelist, prolific man of letters and erudite chronicler of sex, divorce and other adventures in the postwar prime of the American empire http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,483685,00.html.Updike, best known for his four "Rabbit" novels, died of lung cancer. Updike wrote novels, short stories, poems, criticism, the memoir "Self-Consciousness" and even a famous essay about baseball great Ted Williams. He released more than 50 books in a career that started in the 1950s, winning virtually every literary prize, including two Pulitzers, for "Rabbit Is Rich" and "Rabbit at Rest," and two National Book Awards.
The reason I chose Updike as the Topic of my blog today is because it’s truly people like who make a great difference in the world or writing but they are not in the public eye until they pass away. Updike was one of those novelists who wrote during the hard times of the depression. And even though he was going thru hard times along with the rest of our world he continued to entertain many with his stories.
It really makes us stop and think.Is there anything that is so hard and it can keep us from continuing to do what we love to do so much?Not only did he continue to right thru the depression, but he also continued to write while he suffered from the lung cancer that took his life. Its people like that Updike that really make me think when I think there is something in my life that is really holding me back from doing what I love to do. I need to start thinking and nothing is going to hold me back and I am going to fight for what I love and I am going to do it no matter what is happening in my life.
We should all look at things like that just as little hurdles that we need to job to meet our life goals. We are all going to have an impact on this world in some way. We will all just do it in a different way.
http://www.achievement.org/autodoc/page/upd0bio-1
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Whenever someone considered talented, great, and accomplished like Mr. Updike passes away, I always wonder if he had the same feeling of accomplishment about his life that the public had. Obviously he won many awards and had praised heaped upon him. But was he happy? What did his family think of him? Would they agree that his professional work was the greatest thing he contributed to society or the most important thing he did in life?
ReplyDeleteThe reason I wonder these things is because the majority of us are not going to become Pulitzer-prize winning novelists, presidents, or billionaire business people. Most of us are going to go through life fairly average. For us, our most important accomplishments to us are going to be our families or some other part of our life that is likely not that public and certainly not going to cause the whole world to stop and mourn our death.
So I wonder, what sacrifices are worth making and what pursuits are worth pursuing? When my life is near the end, will I have regretted not spending as much time with my family for the sake of my job and education? Or will I feel it was a worthwhile sacrifice?
I agree, sometimes it takes one to pass away for the world to realize all that they have done. If only as a society we could thank them for their work before they pass away. . . I mean, not the usual "that was a great book" or "congrats on the award" stuff, but really thank them. Shake their hands, look them straight in the eye and say Thank You.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Aimee with her second paragraph. Granted we will all probably go through life not being on the big screen or selling records...But our career and supporting our families will be a huge accomplishment in our eyes.
This is a good reason to live life to the fullest. Do everything you ever wanted, don't hold back and no regrets.
I know what you are saying when it takes someones passing away to acknowledge the good and happiness that they have brought upon us. I think it is so sad that it does come down to someones death to have us see the good they did for us, and I think that people should see the good in everyone on a day to day basis so we dont miss the opportunity to take in the good that they have to offer us. Hopefully if we can do that we wont regret thing after their death. I know that we wont be able to take in all the great things that people do in life and wont be able to recognize it all until they are gone.
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