Chapter 4 First TV Show: Reunion

In March 1995, the host of ABC's "Nightline" (Nightline) program Ted.Ted Koppel, traveling in a limousine to West Newton, Massachusetts, stopped on the snow-covered street outside Murray's home. At this time, Murray could only move around in a wheelchair, and someone needed help to move him from the wheelchair to the bed like a sandbag, or from the bed to the wheelchair.He coughed non-stop while eating, and chewing became difficult.His legs are useless and he can no longer walk. However, Murray didn't want to be depressed.In fact, he had a lot of bright ideas coming out of him.He wrote down his thoughts in notebooks, envelopes, leaflets, and scraps of paper, expressing his philosophy of existence under the shadow of death in a succinct way: accept what you can and what you can't do, the past is the past, accept it , do not deny or sublate, learn to forgive yourself, forgive others, and it is never too late to be kind to others.

After a while, he accumulated more than fifty of these good words, and he used them to share with his friends.Murray, a professor friend of his at Brandeis University.Stan thought these things were good and sent them to a reporter from the Boston Globe, who wrote a long feature story for Murray with the headline: □□□ Professor's Last Lecture: His Own Death The story caught the attention of a producer on Nightline, who took the paper to Washington to show Capel. The producer said: Read the report. The next thing you know, the photographer arrives in Murray's living room, and Capel's car pulls up in front of his door.

Several of Murray's friends and family were waiting for Capel, and they couldn't contain their excitement when the celebrity walked into the room.The only exception is Murray.He rolled his wheelchair forward to meet him, raised his eyebrows, and interrupted the commotion with his high-pitched and cadenced voice. Ted, I need to talk to you before I agree to be interviewed. There was an awkward silence all around, and then everyone invited the two into the study and closed the door. One of Murray's friends whispered: "This is great, I hope Ted won't be too hard on Murray."

Another friend said: "I hope Murray won't be too hard on Ted. In the study, Murray motioned for Capel to sit down, put his hands on his knees, and smiled. Murray spoke up: Tell me something you cherish dearly. Cherish it deeply?Capel looked at the old man, then said cautiously: Well, let's talk about his children.The child is what he cherishes deeply, right? Very well, Murray said: Now talk about your religion. Capel was a little uncomfortable. He said: I usually don't talk about this kind of thing with people I have known for a few minutes. Ted, I'm dying, Murray stares at him over his glasses.I don't have much time.

Capel smiled.Well, faith.He quoted the ancient Roman philosopher and emperor Marcus.A famous quote by Marcus Aurelius, which he always took to heart. Murray nodded. Now let me ask you something, Capel said: Have you seen my show? Murray shrugged.I think, twice. twice?Only twice? Never mind, I've only seen Oprah's show once. So, you've seen my show twice, what do you think? Murray paused, asking me to tell the truth? certainly. I think you are a narcissist. Capel laughed. I'm too ugly to be a narcissist.He said. Shortly after, the camera starts rolling in front of the living room fire, with Capel in his crisp blue suit and Murray in a worn gray sweater.He refused to wear nice clothes or make up for the interview, because according to his philosophy, death is not something to be ashamed of, and he wasn't going to put powder on death's nose.

Murray was in a wheelchair, so the camera didn't capture his shrunken legs, and because his hands were still moving, he kept waving them when he talked, so when he was in front of the camera, he was silent. How you face the end of life appears to be ebullient. Ted, he said: When it all started, I asked myself: Am I going to withdraw from the world like most people, or do I want to live?I decided I was going to live, at least try to live, the way I wanted to, with dignity, with courage, with humor, with calm. Sometimes I wake up in the morning crying and crying for myself.Some mornings I'm angry and resigned.But it won't be long before I get up and say: I'm going to live.

So far, I've done it all.Is there any way I can proceed?I don't know, but I bet I can do it myself. Capel, who seemed fascinated by Murray, asked how death taught humility. Well, Fred, Murray blurted out, then quickly corrected: I mean Ted Capel smiled and said: This is what taught me to be humble. The two talked about the afterlife and how Murray had become increasingly dependent on others to get by.Whether he eats, sits up, or moves from one place to another at this time, he needs help.Capel asked what he was most afraid of as Murray walked towards the finish line so slowly. Murray paused, then asked if he could tell it on TV.

It's okay to be blunt, Capel said. Murray met the most famous interviewer in America and said: Well, Ted, there's going to be a day soon where I'm going to have to have my ass wiped. The show aired on a Friday night, and it started with Ted.Capel sat behind the anchor station in Washington, his voice full of authority. Murray.Who is Schwartz?He said: Why would many viewers care about his fate by the end of the show? Thousands of miles away, in my home on the hills, I turned the channel carelessly, and suddenly heard this sentence from the TV: Murray.Who is Schwartz?The whole person froze on the spot.

◇◇◇ In the spring of 1976, I took his class for the first time.When I walked into Murray's large office, I saw rows of books on the wall that seemed innumerable, including books on sociology, philosophy, religion, and psychology.There was a large rug on the hardwood floor, and the windows looked out onto the school's walkway.There were only a dozen or so students in the office, most of them in jeans, earth shoes, and checked flannel shirts, rummaging through notebooks and schedules.I thought to myself, since the class is so small, it is not easy to skip classes, maybe I should not choose this class.

Murray took the elective list and clicked on my name: Mitchell? I raise my hand. Can I call you Mickey?Or do you like being called Mitchell? No teacher had ever asked me that question before, so I took another look at the guy, wearing a yellow jumper, green corduroy pants, silver hair covering his forehead, and a big smile. I replied, Mickey, my friends call me Mickey. Well, I'll call you Mickey.Murray said, as if he had agreed with me.And, Mickey? What's up? I hope one day you will consider me your friend.