Author Mitch Albom Tells Graduates Story About Breaking A Promise Made On Graduation Day

On a day when most graduates are giddy about starting a new life, author Mitch Albom provided Quinnipiac University's graduation class with advice, and a cautionary tale about morality and breaking promises.

Albom, an internationally renowed best-selling author of the memoir, Tuesdays with Morrie, told the 1,333 graduates on Sunday that their futures were up to them, but that they might learn from something that happened to him.

On Albom's graduation day, one of his former college professors, Morrie Schwartz, asked the grad-to-be a favor: “Mitch, you are one of the good ones,” Schwartz told Albom. “Promise me you’ll stay in touch.”

Albom said he would.

And for 10 years he broke that promise.

Albom said he was simply busy and ambitious and got caught up with his life.

Then, one night as the writer was surfing TV channels, a “sickly, white-haired version” of his former professor jumped on the screen. Schwartz was dying of ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease.

Guilt-stricken, Albom went to visit his former teacher. He quickly became impressed, amazed, even, at the dying man’s vivacity and tenderness. The old friendship was quickly rekindled.

One Tuesday, he asked Schwartz why visitors who came to cheer up Schwartz ended up being cheered up by the old man.

“Giving makes me feel like I’m living,” Albom remembers Schwartz telling him.

Albom said that profound line has stuck with him ever since.

“Share yourself with others, touch others, give yourself to others,” he told students. Even after Schwartz passed on, he never really left Albom because of the character he was while living. “Share yourself with other people and you’ll never truly be gone.”

Albom advised students not to spend all day self-involved and said that the idea of perfectness in our society – the ideal body type, for example – should not be the goal.

“Imperfection can be a blessing in disguise,” Derek Stanley told his classmates in the response of the class of 2011 after the degrees were handed out. He called imperfection “the force that allows our society to progress” and told fellow graduates to pursue original thought even if failure threatens the outcome.

“Your idea may be the next idea,” he said. 

Quinnipiac University President John Lahey began the ceremony by asking students to acknowledge the help they have received from their teachers and family by giving them a round of standing applause. The students acquiesced.

“I have every reason to be optimistic all of you will be successful,” said Lahey. “You will lead the world and leave it in great shape for future generations.”

Click here to watch a web cast of the ceremony.

Area graduates include:

Madison:

Alexa N. Bennett, Bachelor of Arts in sociology; Samantha M. Campbell, Bachelor of Science in marketing; Brittany N. DeBiase, Bachelor of Arts in criminal justice; Michael T. Farrell, Bachelor of Arts in communications; Matthew E. Kolf, Bachelor of Arts in social services; Julia B. Minshall, Bachelor of Science in nursing; Tara E. Noonan, Bachelor of Science in nursing and Meghan J. Pajonas, Bachelor of Science.

Guilford:

Nicholas M. Jillson, Bachelor of Science in biomedical sciences; Elizabeth A. Locke, Bachelor of Arts in sociology; Emily L. Osga, Bachelor of Science in accounting; Alessandra Panno, Bachelor of Science in international business and Bachelor of Science in marketing.

Westbrook:

Barbara J. Matuszewski, Bachelor of Science in nursing.