The chapter about Captain Kirk was by far my favorite. My dad grew up watching the original Star Trek, and it has since become a family activity to watch the show. Recently, my dad and I even traveled to the Air and Space Museum in D.C. to see the studio model of the Starship Enterprise. I have grown to love it and the unique stories it tells. Randy’s admiration for Kirk is shared by me and my dad. Kirk’s courage, leadership, and determination has helped me in my life and will continue to inspire me. I smiled through reading the entire chapter, and had a feeling of fulfillment, as I’m sure he felt, when Randy received the signed portrait from William Shatner.

When I started reading The Last Lecture, I was skeptical of how I would feel reading this memoir of a dying man. After getting into it, I realized that, rather than feeling melancholy, I feel inspired by Randy’s drive and determination. His motivation to live his life to the fullest really allowed me to gain a more positive outlook on life. The pursuit of summing up his entire life into one lecture drives readers to reflect on their own lives and what makes them unique. It drove me to contemplate what stories I would tell about my life, and I’m not sure if I could find what makes me unique in the amount of time that Randy had.