commentary by Frank Schroth
The Milton Library’s gala last night at Granite Links was an outstanding success on several levels.
It raised funds for the library, brought together folks with a shared passion for this local institution, and, by way of the speaker, gave those present something to think about.
The featured speaker was Jeffrey Zaslow a columnist for the Wall Street Journal and author. The books might be considered “feel good” books but not in the sense of “I’m Ok You’re OK.” The are all about remarkable people who make family, love, and friendship the driving priorities of their lives.
In a compelling talk that blended videos with personal reflections and a bit of stand up comedy Mr. Zaslow profiled his three volumes. The most recent was a co-authored autobiography of the pilot Chesley Sullenberger who landed his airplane in the Hudson River. A second book tells the story of a group of women who have been lifelong friends for over 40 years. And the third is “The Last Lecture” which was written with Randy Pausch, a professor from Carnegie Mellon with pancreatic cancer.
Mr. Zaslow was artful in selecting brief anecdotes from his work with these people that reflected their character and were extraordinarily telling. Here is one about Mr. Pausch who after he was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer dedicated himself to fighting it every step of way. He gave a last lecture to students and faculty at Carnegie Mellon in which he reflected on what was important to him and life lessons learned from his father and others. But here is the anecdote: Mr. Pausch was in a market where he was inadvertently double charged for items he purchased. He noticed the error but continued on his way. When asked why he didn’t get a refund he said, “That would take like 15 minutes to do and I’d rather have the 15 minutes than the $16.”
The Trustees, Friends of the Library et al did a great job of organization. And it was peppered with nice touches not the least of which was donating a front table to Milton High School where Mr. Collyer, an English teacher, and a group of students were their guests.
Maybe you have read one or more of Mr. Zaslow’s books; but if not you can find them all at the Milton Library!
And if you missed the last lecture, you can view it here: