Throughout the book, Randy makes a distinction between "people" and "things." What did you think of his decision to empty the can of soda in the backseat of his car?
114 Comments
Giselle Peng
4/30/2012 08:06:46 am
First of all, I thought it was really funny. I also think that it was the right thing to do. As he said, the car would have gotten messed up eventually. His way, nobody got hurt or felt guilty about it.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/9/2012 07:44:31 am
I agree, in that pouring the soda in the new car was a wise decision. I too at first thought this was a silly and stupid thing to do. It took me a while to realize the meaning in this. It was actually a "head fake," and his nephews learned indirectly that being overly materialistic is bad.
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Caden Fernando
5/9/2012 01:17:53 pm
I agree, at first I was like, "What!? That's a brand new car!" That was wise of him to make that decision because he overcame the value of material things.
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4/30/2012 08:57:51 pm
Rand new People where much more important than things, things get ruined, old, and fade. People don't. He knew that his niece and nephew were way more precious than his knew car and furthermore that they where kids so they would have ruined it in 2 weeks tops anyway. So when he poured the soda, he was making it easy for them to feel okay when they did ruin it. His nephew threw up in the car one week later. Of course he ruined his car, but he was doing it for his nephew and niece who where millions of times more important than his new thing. They where people and he was making an impact on their life.
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Janice Kao
5/9/2012 10:04:41 am
The first couple sentences of your response were very meaningful. It makes a great point. Because people fade, we should spend more time with them. Before we know it, they'll be gone. I don't even think we can compare THINGS to PEOPLE. People have feelings and will always be changed/affected to do something. Things can't even be on the same scale with people. Like you said, people are more precious than material items.
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Haris Rafiq
5/13/2012 10:43:03 am
Well, first off Janice, I can easily put my lamp on a scale and weigh it. Besides that, Randizzle's right. I'd pour Coke on my lamp any day for my family. You can replace a lamp. You can't replace a person.
Teena Thomas
5/14/2012 08:16:28 am
I completely agree to Randy, People are way more important than things.
Jamie Stivers
4/30/2012 10:18:13 pm
I thought the decision about the backseat was surprising, but a smart thing to do in the long run. A car is just a car, and it will get messed up eventually. So, why not spill soda on it so none of the kids feel guilty when they do spill something on it? Obviously, if you have young kids with food/drinks in the back of the car, it will probably spill sometime. I think that the kids will remember this and its not a big deal after a while.
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Jackson Stone
4/30/2012 11:28:33 pm
The main difference between people and things is that things are replaceable. You can go buy a new thing or make it again but you cant do that with living things. I found the spilling of the soda to be a useful gesture. It made the kids feel that if they made a mistake they would not be persecuted for it.
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Daxton Davidosn
5/1/2012 01:11:20 am
When I first read that he spilled soda in his car I was surprised and I thought that was the wrong thing to do, but then I realized that it is just a car and it does not matter if it gets messed up now or later. It ended up really help in out his nephew when he got sick and threw up, because this way his nephew does not feel bad. Randy is happy and does not need material items for that he just loves being around his family and loved ones even before he was diagnosed. I think that the moral of this part was that don't worry over material items because all that matter is your Family and loved ones. So I think Randy was very clever by spilling the soda and I agree with him.
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Giselle Peng
5/9/2012 11:18:59 am
I also thought that it was the wrong thing to do at first, but then I realized why he did it. He was completely disregarding the rules that adults hammer into kid's heads from day 1, but he taught them a valuable lesson. I agree with you that it was clever, especially considering what happened a week later.
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Surabi Rao
5/1/2012 01:31:19 am
When I read the part when Randy empties the can of soda on the backseat of his car, I literally started gaping. We've been taught all our lives to follow rules, like not to mess up someone else's car and to always be polite to other people, and he just went and broke one of those rules! I can't imagine every doing that, but I applaud him for pouring out that soda. This shows that Randy knew that things like cars are just temporary, and they are less important than people. If Randy hadn't showed his niece and nephew that these kind of things are temporary by pouring soda, then his nephew would've felt REALLY bad when he threw up in the backseat. People are more important than things.
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Aisha Espinosa
5/9/2012 07:51:36 am
I did the exact same thing, Surabi! And I agree with you. I don't think I could ever do something like pour soda on the backseat of the car. Since I was little, I've been taught not to ruin other people's belongings, especially a car. And then reading that someone did this on purpose? Kind of a shocker.
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Janice Kao
5/1/2012 09:22:45 am
To be honest, I was just as shocked as the kid in the backseat. While it seems ridiculous to ruin a nice car, it taught a valuable lesson. If you waste your time fretting over little problems (soda on the backseat), you’ll miss out on all the fun (going to Chuck E. Cheese’s)! Randy loved his niece and nephew so much that he was willing to teach them some indirect wisdom. This event also teaches us that we should value a human life more than an inanimate object. People have feelings and will make more of an impact in your life than toys, money, etc.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/5/2012 11:36:43 pm
I agree that pouring soda on the back seat of the car was another "head fake" that Randy used to teach an important lesson to his niece and nephew. By doing something like pouring a soda down, the children learned an important pearl of wisdom without knowing that they were learning it. They learned that people are more important that things.
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Sierra Latshaw
5/1/2012 09:57:29 am
I think that the lesson Randy taught was really funny and smart. It showed that he valued people over material items and that even if the thing was a little messed up it wouldn't matter because the people in your life should be more important than your materials. Randy realized that eventually his car would become old and dirty and messed it up so that no one would feel guilty if they accidently messed it up. Like Giselle said his nephew threw up in the backseat a week later and didn't feel bad because Randy had shown that it didn't matter and it was okay it was just a thing and didn't compare to the relationship with his Nephew. I thought it was a really cute lesson as well as a cute part in the story.
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Kate Kaiser
5/1/2012 10:14:09 am
I have a high respect for Randy and especially his decision to pour the soda in the backseat. He obviously has a clear idea of what is more important between people and things. I thought that him emptying the soda can was just such an incredible thing to do; I don’t know if I could’ve made myself do it! The lesson that things are despensable is a hard one to learn. It was an extremely honorable task, and he taught his niece and nephew a crucial life lesson. People are more important than things. He was not hesitant to trash his beautiful car so that the people around him were sure to be happy later on when a mistake came.
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Adreesh Roy
5/8/2012 12:33:18 pm
I totally agree with having high respect for Randy. Who in their right mind would pour soda in the backseat of a convertible!? It takes guts to do that, and this is just another reason why I admire Randy Pausch.
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Sujay Adhikari
5/10/2012 11:46:57 am
I agree with both of yall, to do something like that takes some serious guts. Randy really knew how to live life to the fullest, and knew that people are more important than things.
Ashleigh Little
5/1/2012 09:40:07 pm
I think that was a great decision to make. It was funny but it had a great meaning to it. Stuff is always eventually going to wear out, wear down, and break down, and so was the car. Randy knew that and didn’t want the kids feel like it was their fault if it got dirty so he poured the soda. This was great because it demonstrated the things are breakable and replaceable people however are not. The act says to the people he cared about “Hey I care more about you and how you are than about some material item”.
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 06:17:11 am
I agree with you, Ashleigh, people today are too focused on what objects we have rather than actual people. Like for me, I would have to say that my phone is my life; I spend ALOT of time on it. Rather than that, I should be spending time with family and friends.
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Grace Lu
5/1/2012 10:28:51 pm
It was a good way to get the message across. I’m sure the soda can had a bigger affect on his sister’s children than any lecture would have. “People are much more important than things.” A stain on the back of your car is nothing compared to a punch to somebody’s face, or hurting someone’s feelings. Things can be replaced, but once someone is gone they are gone forever.
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Anna Sneed
5/1/2012 11:20:14 pm
Can we really have fun in life if all we focus on is other things. Randy is right, nothing is new forever. Eventually, things grow old, and lose their value. His decision to pour the soda in the car was pretty shocking, but it makes sense. Why should we only focus on things in life? When we compare a really rich, successful man to a poor man with a happy family, it's normally the poor man who has a happier life. When we expect to have expensive, new things, it's a lot harder to become happy. However, if we don't expect to have everything in life, and we understand people are more important, it's easier to let things go and be happy.
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5/2/2012 12:20:09 am
I think that Randy's gesture was a simple, yet effective way of teaching his niece and nephew about not being materialistic. While many people covet over a new car, Randy's decision helped them understand that its okay to make mess, and accidents do happen. The car would get soiled anyway, so why try to delay the inevitable? His decision was humorous and intelligent, and it was moments in Randy's life like these that made the book interesting to read. He taught the kids that objects can be replaced, and great experiences can't. His lesson worked since as later mentioned in the book, when Randy's nephew threw up in the car, he didn't feel guilty at all.
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Kyle Towe
5/2/2012 12:46:24 am
I think he did something that almost none of us would ever do, but we would say we would like to be able to do. He took his car, a thing, and valued it over people. He was able to raise himself above his lust for worldly things and put them to the side while he focused on the people in his life. I hold in in the highest regard and if I was that child I would look at him as the coolest uncle in the world.
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Josh Fink
5/10/2012 01:16:59 pm
I agree with you, for a lot of us would say thats a great thing to do, but not actually do it ourselves. Many of us our so dependent on the look of the things we wouldn't do what Randy did. I picked up throughout the book Randy's passion for the people and memories in his life, not his things or items. I also agree that with the two rules Randy had for his sisters kids, I bet they had a lot of good times.
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Ryan Kinder
5/2/2012 01:10:59 am
I think his demonstration of pouring soda in his car is an extreme way of showing that objects can be replaced and fixed with money, and that material things aren't really important.
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Eric Benenson
5/2/2012 03:35:15 am
I think that is was great symbolism. He pretty much said that things are only there to do a function. If it still does what it was designed to do, then it is fine.
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Zachary Pranske
5/2/2012 03:46:49 am
I don't know...I sort of relate this to Cyrano de Bergerac tossing all his money on the stage. It was, in both cases, a grand gesture, but probably a bad idea. However, the symbolism was great. Not only did he show what he stood for, but he also solved a potential problem in the future. Like the car-crash incident, it was just a "thing" and didn't matter as much as people do.
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Alex Berend
5/9/2012 11:01:48 am
Nice analogy zach. I do see the connections, and I certainly agree they both seem like a bad idea from the common perspective. I admire Randy for seeing through that common perspective, and actually realizing that items are items, and that they aren't even close to family, friends and fun and love. Where did you hear of that story of Cyrano?
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Catherine Jackson
5/11/2012 08:07:25 am
Required reading for LA.
Jennifer Chavarro-Rogers
5/2/2012 04:14:41 am
I understand why Randy spilled the soda in his car. He showed that life is short, and it is the people in that life that matter, not the things. It was a grand and noble gesture, but to me, it was stupid. Things may not matter as much as people, definitely not, but they can add happiness in you life. Many people like their large expensive items, like new cars, and would hate the thought of ruining it. Randy knew that Chris and Laura would somehow mess up his new car, so he made a very kind, and very stupid, gesture of spilling soda in the backseat. I would NEVER do that, especially since a new car means a LOT of money. If Chris and Laura were my nephew and niece, then I would have never taken them in the car in the first place. To me, that's just common sense. Life may be short, but it is filled with happiness. For some, that happiness comes from people, while for others, it comes from things. For me, it comes from both people and things, people being more. So as it is clear, I disagree with Randy's decision to spill the soda in the backseat of his new car.
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Jenna Song
5/2/2012 10:52:55 am
Many people would have thought Randy was crazy when he poured soda all over his car, but I can see why he did it. He emphasized the big difference between "things" and "humans". No matter how much you really care for a "thing", they are just "things" in the end. They are just something you can adore for a short amount of time before you get tired of it or it gets too old enough. Humans have emotions and feelings they feel unlike unliving things. I thought it was a smart idea in his part to think ahead of what little children could do to his brand new car. He knew that they were going to eventually destroy it, and destroying it when he wasn't expecting may make the children guilty and disappointed at themselves at what they have done. When Randy poured the soda, it also proved a lesson to the children. The children learned the lesson of the big difference between "things" and "people". They will know better than to attach themselves to a thing more than a human. It will help them in the future. When one of the children really had to mess up his car, they didn't feel any guilt toward this act, because he had already specified between things and beings. I can see why he did it, and I can see a great purpose behind it.
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Teena Thomas
5/14/2012 08:19:01 am
I am going to be honest, I thought he was very crazy when I read about him pouring the coke on the backseat.Then I came to realize the true meaning of the incident and I came to think of him as a very great person.
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Chandru Sundarrajan
5/2/2012 11:06:12 am
Though the idea of ruining a new car by intentionally pouring soda on the seats may sound absurd, but Pausch was trying to reveal an deeper meaning while doing this. He was trying to emphasize the importance of people over things. This was a clever method of indirectly teaching his nephews not to be too materialistic (Pausch would have called this a "head fake" :)). Through his actions, he showed that it is okay to mess up the car, for it will inevitably happen in the future. People are more important, and he was trying to show his nephews that they are more important to him than even his new car. A person cannot be replaced, whereas a car can. This action eventually paid off, when his nephew threw up in the car a week later. The nephew would have felt terrible if Pausch had not poured the soda earlier.
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Yuna Oh
5/3/2012 12:05:32 am
Randy had specific distinction between people and thing. He thought no matter how expensive the "thing" is, it's a thing anyways. Person is always more important than thing and I think his decision to empty the soda can in the backseat of his car made his niece and nephew to think in the same way as he does.
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Taddie Cook
5/3/2012 03:53:11 am
Randy chose to empty the soda in his car because he was trying to show that he values people more than items. I think that it was important to show that to his niece and his nephew that he cared more about them than his car. I don't know if I would be able to pour a soda all over the car. I would probably be willing to pour a bucket of dirt in a car, but soda is sticky. That was a big commitment to his niece and nephew.
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Lauren Villanueva
5/9/2012 01:13:30 pm
I really like how you confess that you probably wouldn't do soda but you would do a bucket of dirt. Also how you apply what he did to the lesson that he cared about the kids more than his car.
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Raghav Kotha
5/3/2012 07:46:05 am
I had 2 feelings about Randy's decision. The first reaction, my instant reaction, said that he was a person who did not know the value of money. But after he reasoned out, I realized his decision was not as bad. Though I might not do this in the future, I have realized that physical things are not more important than a person themselves.This is what I think about Randy's decision.
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Taeeun Kim
5/9/2012 11:18:27 am
That was my first reaction too! I was like "What is he doing. He's crazy." I understood his purpose and all, but I still thought that was a little too much... I mean he probably had to clean that all up later!
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Teena Thomas
5/3/2012 10:39:29 am
I was kind of shocked when he had poured a can of soda purposely on the backseat of a new car.Then when I read along,I understood the message the was trying to send. People are more valuable than things.If something happens to a thing it is always replaceable but if something happens to a person, you can never replace that loss.
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Dheeraj Nuthakki
5/3/2012 11:32:07 am
I was pretty surprised by the decision but a car is just something you buy and throw away. Making a kid sad and guilty is something you won't forget but making a kid not worry and have a smile on their face is something to value and it is priceless.. A car is going to get dirty anyways in the long run and he made sure the kids don't feel really bad and guilty that they ruined somebody's car. Since Randy, emptied the soda in the seat the kids will think it's okay if accidents happen and won't feel bad in the future. I definitely think it was a good idea, to help yourself and to help the kids.
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5/3/2012 11:36:58 am
I realize what point he was trying to make by dumping the can of soda in the backseat, but I definetly would not hae done that. He bought the car, so why would he mess it up? If he thought that cars were just things then why did he buy such a nice one? It seemed almost like he didn't care about his car getting messed up, on the outside, but on the inside it was killing him. I think this because, it did not help anything. All it lead to was Chris freely throwing up in the car a few days later. I also thought it was quite amazing that he didn't get mad.
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Catherine Jackson
5/11/2012 08:05:51 am
Well,that was the whole point. Everything is going to get messed up/broken eventually. Randy realized this, so he got rid of the anticiption by already messing it up. That way the kids didn't have to worry if they did get it messy.
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Maddy G
5/4/2012 01:14:41 am
I was a little shocked by Randy's decision to pour out the orange soda! Mostly because it was his brand new car, but after I read a little further, I realized his point in doing that. He wanted to show how things are just things and can be replaced, while people are way more important. He also wanted to show his niece and nephew that it's okay to make mistakes and get messy sometimes. He just wanted his sister's kids to feel comfortable around him and just be kids.
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/4/2012 07:44:43 am
I believe that Randy's decision was influential and that everyone can learn from it. He was correct, human beings are important that things. It was just that his sister did not see that and wanted to make it clear to her children that humanity is more important. You can buy as many cars as you want, but you can not buy your loved ones back. This shows that loved ones are way important than things and loved ones.
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Catherine Jackson
5/5/2012 05:22:15 am
On the surface, it was entertaining and pretty precognitive of him. If you look deeper, though, it shows that he doesn't like rules, because they'll all be broken eventually. It also shows that he doesn't really care about cars or objects in general as a status symbol and he prefers to be judged as an indvidual.
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Swathi Sarathy
5/5/2012 11:01:45 am
Basically, Randy was trying to emphasize the point that things are replaceable, and they are not as important as people. He knew that the kids were little and they would eventually ruin the car. Instead of waiting for that to happen, he poured the soda in the backseat; He showed the kids that even if they did get the car dirty, it would be no big deal. He wanted to just let them be kids and not have to worry about minor things.
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Swathi Sarathy
5/5/2012 11:08:35 am
At first though, I was pretty horrified that he was even willing to do that.
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Sydney Stevens
5/5/2012 12:49:31 pm
I thought that was really nice and cool of Randy to spill the can of soda in his brand new car. It made me realize that we obsess over the little things in life that aren’t so important more than we do the major things. Like Randy emphasized, things can be replaced, but people can’t.
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Taeeun Kim
5/5/2012 02:22:55 pm
When Randy emptied out the soda can in the backseat of his car, I was just like “Uh, what’s wrong with him?” It was something I wasn’t expecting at all because I mean really, who dumps out a can of soda in their brand new Volkswagen Cabrio convertible? Or at anything “brand new”? I mean I guess it was the right thing to do because of course people are way more important than things, but couldn’t have he just said to his nephews, “You don’t have to worry about ruining my car AT ALL. You can jump on the backseat and do whatever you want. I don’t care even if it gets ruined unless you guys are safe.” After that, I would’ve kicked the car to prove that I was being honest if I was him. In my opinion, Randy’s decision to empty the can of soda in the backseat of his car was the right thing to do, but just a little bit overboard.
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Mukund Kuntimad
5/5/2012 11:28:57 pm
Randy's action of pouring soda over the back seat of the car broke the ice and created an easy rapport with his niece and nephew. Without being preachy, Randy communicated to his niece and nephew that he values their company and quality time spent with them more than an inanimate car. Eventually, this incident helped his nephew in not feeling guilty when he threw up in the back seat of his uncle's new car. the life lesson learned here is that people are more important that things. People have emotions and can get hurt, while inanimate things do not have emotions.
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Vishaal Sakthivelnathan
5/9/2012 07:59:54 am
I totally agree with you 100%. Randy taught a lesson in the most efficient way to teach a child. I bet a child would grasp it better if they saw it rather than listening to it.
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Nithin Pingili
5/6/2012 07:18:23 am
At first, I thought it was weird because you don’t see a grown adult man pouring a can of soda in the backseat of his new car. Then I thought that he was a true man that understood people and things values. It was totally understandable why he wanted to do it; it was to show the kids that it was ok to get the car dirty because he already knows that the kids are eventually going to get it dirty. So to make things easy he poured the can of soda on his backseat without even thinking of what he was doing. The decision that randy had made had thought me that people are definitely more important than things because if a person were to create something, it would be the person that is more important than the object created. This is because without the person creating it, it would just be a bunch of parts that are not put together to make it into something better.
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John Wang
5/6/2012 07:58:11 am
Your take on this situation depends on how you look at life; do you value possessions over experiences, or is it the other way around? Randy values his experiences more. He doesn't care if he treats an object like trash. It's not that important to him.
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Coleman Wylie
5/6/2012 10:42:28 am
People often over react when it comes to their possessions, and Randy's soda in the car idea completely saved his niece and nephew from having to be at the bad side of that kind of a situation. Because Randy poured the soda, I'm sure a level of stress was taken off the niece and nephew's shoulders. Like Randy said, objects are dispensable, so why should people fret over them. I liked this lesson because many times I have felt guilty for messing up someone's possessions and having to cope with their reaction.
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Rudy Rampersad
5/6/2012 11:03:47 am
I am greatly torn about Randy’s decision to pour soda on his new Volkswagen. I accept the concept and idea Randy was trying to convey, but if it was me; I couldn’t force myself to stain my new car. However, I was not brought up with Randy’s parents, so I can’t speak from his experience. Although I couldn’t do such a thing, I respect and understand his message of family over possessions. Material things come and go, but family last a lifetime.
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Anushka Limaye
5/6/2012 11:20:09 pm
My first reaction was that this was very funny. Randy did something that no grown-up I know would ever do. He spilled soda on his car just like that! His lesson, however, was crucially important as well. His message, as I percieved it, was that material things come and go, but people stay with you. A machine does not have the capability to provide you comfort, to love you, to care for you. Peoople do, and if you keep focusing on the material things, you might just forget or take for granted the people things. Also, I doubt that Randy would have done so if he hadn't realized this all through cancer. He started to see the world differently after knowing that he had only a few months to live. Randy did the right thing, I feel, because he passed on this life lesson that he had learnt to the children, so that they could live their full lives understanding this, rather than having to wait until they were facing something big to find out.
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Payton Molina
5/7/2012 07:24:28 am
I admired Randy when he did this. He showed that people are more important in your life than a car or something that can be replaced easily. I think it was a good way of showing that definatly. They were kids anyway and were going to do something to the car at some point so he just wanted to show the kids it was ok to spill something and show that he wouldn't get mad. I find it funny however that his sister and the kids just stared at him in shock as he did it. Like it was the worst thing that could've ever happend to a car. But it really wasn't and people need to realize that people in your life are more important than just things.
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Claire Jordan
5/7/2012 08:00:40 am
I thought Randy did the right thing by pouring the soda all over the backseat of his new car. This just goes to show that there is a distinct difference between things and people. I think what Randy was trying to put out there is that things can be replaced, while people can't. He didn't want his niece and nephew to obsess over not getting the car dirty, and then crying when they did. He taught them as well as all of his readers to not stress over the small things in life. Instead, focus on all the people that will help you achieve more throughtout your life.
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Shishir Jessu
5/7/2012 08:15:57 am
Despite the car being new and expensive, Randy decided to spill soda on it for his niece and nephew. He knew this would make them happy, and he was easily able to realize that his niece and nephew were worth much more than his car, no matter what the car was. He then mentions that cars are only meant to get someone from Point A to Point B, and that their appearance is not very important. However, if he had ruined his relationship with his nephew and niece, it could never be fully recovered. There is a simple fix for a dirty car seat, however; one could simply clean it.
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Julia Stephenson
5/7/2012 10:32:06 am
Throughout the book, you see Randy distinguishing differences between 'people' and 'things.' He says that people are more important than things, and when you spend too much times on rules, you miss out on time with people. This part of the book was definitely my favorite, not only do I like to hear that someone purposely poured soda in their new car, but I also like the thought that Pausch has. People screw up, and when they do screw up and break the rules it only discourages them. Children will be children and nobody is perfect, so love people not things.
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Lea Balcerzak
5/7/2012 11:32:26 am
Randy’s act of emptying a can of soda in the backset of his new car, was a very effective way of getting his point across that people mean to him much more than things. Things are replaceable, yet humans, not quite. His act was a great representation of his belief. I was quite amused with Randy’s decision, but as I continued to read the section I began to understand his reasoning. Looking back at it, it is quite a reasonable thing to make the car dirty at first so later no one will feel guilty for spilling something or making the backseat dirty. His decision probably reduced much stress in the future. Overall, I admire his commitment to living up to his moral that people and their happiness is much more important than the condition of physical possessions and things, and I think that his actions here can translate into many other life scenarios where we should remember the importance of humans over objects.
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Sakina Daresalamwala
5/9/2012 11:24:01 am
I thought it was really funny when he did that, especially when he described his nephew's face. I'm sure that after that incident the nephew didn't feel so guilty about messing up his car a little. I thought that it was really thoughtful of him to do that, because even though he was ruining something new, he wanted to show his loved ones that they meant more to him than anything with materialistic value!
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Paige Worthington
5/7/2012 10:12:02 pm
I think that pouring the can into the backseat of his new car was meaningful. It showed the kids that the car was just a thing and was replaceable. In the end it was smart because later the kids knew that it was ok for them to get sick and that they were more important than the object (car).
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Alex Berend
5/7/2012 11:32:59 pm
As the action of pouring the soda in the back seat of the new convertible may seem crazy, Randy Pausch saw the big picture. When you have something new such as new shoes, a new bike, or a new car, you can't seem to enjoy the moments you spend with your friends and family when using or in them. Instead, you are just stressing out about preserving the perfect condition of your belongings.
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christian spiller
5/8/2012 12:30:30 am
i thought that his way of dumping the soda in the back of the seat was better than somebody else messing it up and haveing any bad feelings also it tought of the value of people way over things like a car
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Avery Pietrowiak
5/8/2012 04:02:56 am
The way that our society is build, it is all about material things. The way that Randy shows that he releases that people are way more important than the things that we only have for a short time is very desirable. When he spilled the coke in the back seat, it was surprising Then when he explained why, it made scenic, he was trying to allow the kids to relax and have them realize that the car wasn't that important
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Beverly Lo
5/8/2012 05:55:40 am
Unlike our society today, Randy views objects the way they are; something like a car is just a “thing” and can easily be replace, but something such as a human being cannot. Our world today thinks quite the opposite. We treasure our iPhones and iPods while we brush mom aside when she tries to get us to help her. People today should be more like Randy. We need to treat those we love better than simple inanimate objects.
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maci scates
5/8/2012 06:17:14 am
most people freak out when something they love gets broken or damaged. But when someone gets hurt you feel bad and tell them its no big deal. But in the end it really is no big deal. i thought that the soda in the backseat was surprising but as i read along i understood why he did that and thought about times that has happened to me. Where my friend breaks something and they feel bad.
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Neil Bhamoo
5/8/2012 07:35:19 am
I thought it was pretty awesome. It made me like him a lot more, and how he thought of different things. I liked that he cared more for people than things, no matter how expensive those things are. I know that there are many people that would first save their things, especially cars, before people, and that is horrible. I think he made a great point by doing that by saying that the car is just an object, something you use, so as long as it works, you're okay.
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Ali Ozymy
5/8/2012 07:50:28 am
I think that Randy really has it right when it comes to the distinction between people and things. When I read the part about him pouring the soda in the back seat of his new car, I was really impressed. A lot of people would call him stupid for ruining something new, but who's to say that its ruined? I think his thought process behind the action of dumping the soda in the seat is even more impressive. When he talked about the real importance of people over things, I realized that I had it wrong and he had it right. Sometimes I get all worked up about things. Its always about things, things, things! Who cares about "things"? "Things" are just objects that we use to interact with other people. The people are the important things. The people and the relationships are the things that we should be careful not to spill the soda on.
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Yacine Issioui
5/8/2012 08:28:08 am
I don't completely agree with pouring soda on the back seat of a new car, but I understood what he was doing. The lesson he wanted to get through to us was that no matter how much you try to keep something clean, time will cause it to look different, if people don't of course! He also wanted to display the differentiation between people and objects. You can buy or replace any object with something exactly like it or even better. People can't be replaced and you must always show that you care for them more than objects especially with little kids.
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Josh Fink
5/10/2012 01:19:40 pm
I really like what you said about "people can't be replaced". I think that was Randy's purpose for pouring the soda, showing that items come and go, but the people in your life are much more important.
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Morgan Glover
5/8/2012 08:37:14 am
When Randy dumped soda in the back of his brand new convertible, he decided that his niece and nephew shouldn't have to worry about getting his new, fancy car messy. It was just a car that mattered less to him than they did. He decided that people he loved were way more important than the things he bought. The kids were more valuable than his car.
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Lauren Kirkley
5/8/2012 08:53:52 am
I think he chose to spill the soda in his car to show the kids that the car wasn’t the most important thing in the world. He wanted to teach the children that things are just things and there is really no reason to stress over them. Life is too short to worry about the little things. I think his lesson to his nephews was just that you cannot take things too seriously. Eventually things will get ruined or old and wore out, so there is really no reason to make a big deal about it now.
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Amy Roh
5/8/2012 09:11:41 am
His decision of pouring the soda on the car seat was actually really shocking to me because people just don't do that in general. But in the end I thought that it was funny and smart. People get so hung up on objects and how much it costs, and how shiny it is, etc. etc. things may be cool and amazing the first day but eventually we all get tired of them. His decision to teach the little kids that things were just things, was very smart I think
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Pratyusha Manthena
5/8/2012 10:59:49 am
I agree totally and completely with him on his distinction between people and things. I see people today value things greater than people sometimes. I believe that Randy’s act of emptying the can of soda in the backseat would be a good lesson for people to learn from in our society today. Nowadays, people want to buy the coolest and awesomest thing. They take pride in that item rather in someone else that should be more important than this thing. This was a good lesson to his niece and nephew and something that I think people should understand.
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Rahi Patel
5/8/2012 11:09:02 am
I think that this was a good thing that Randy had poured the soda in the back seat of his new car because sooner or later the car was going to get messed up! If randy had not done that to his car then his nephew would have felt really bad when he threw up in his uncle's precious, new, and "clean" car, but since randy had gone through with showing that he did not care if his car got messed up, the nephew was not hurt after the accident happened.
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Tyler Smith
5/8/2012 11:18:38 am
Randy poured the drink out on the seat of his car to show that it was just a car and not a life that can live. A thing is not as important as a person. When my sister got her new car this Christmas, one of my family members kept on saying "don't let anyone have red drinks in your car" which was referring to one of my cousins who had split a red drink in their car. I saw that those comments really hurt his feelings.
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Adreesh Roy
5/8/2012 01:27:37 pm
This was one of my favorite parts of the book. It was a perfect example of getting the pain over with, as the car would have gotten dirty eventually somehow. But the real lesson here shown was worldly objects are not nearly as important as people. Pouring the soda all over the backseat really made an impact on his Niece and Nephew’s lives by teaching them this lesson. It also made Chris, his nephew, feel less guilty about throwing up in the new convertible later.
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Eugene Han
5/8/2012 09:15:14 pm
I think what he did was "right" in a way. I definitely would not do it, but it shows that people are more important than things and that even if he messed up his "thing" or car in this case, it really does not matter. It helps to show that he cares about people more than his car. A car isn't living; A person is living.
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5/9/2012 06:17:57 am
I thought that the spilling of the soda was risky. Although I do have respect for Randy because his decision was smart, and clever. I can understand where he was coming from. A car is a car, and sometimes people make mistakes and get it dirty. I'm glad he did it, so none of the other kids felt guilty if they accidentally spilt something. Randy showed that things are not as important as people. I love the lesson being displayed, it taught me that the people in my life are to be more cherished than the things that I have.
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5/9/2012 06:24:10 am
At first, I was very surprised and then I thought it was laughable. I think he was so smart to show the kids that things don't really matter as much as people. I think it really showed them and pointed out that people make mistakes, that's just being human, it showed them that its no big deal and to learn to just get over things that happen to stuff. It made me really think about how much people are more important than things, and to learn how to embrace mistakes and differences.
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Whitney Bras
5/9/2012 07:24:43 am
I thought it was very funny and a great thing to do. It let his nephew and niece know that they were far more important to him than his brand new car. It also taught the two kids that your priorities are only in the order that you put them in. I feel like it also gave all three of them reassurance about there bound in a quirky, unusual , and unforgettable way. This "scene" also gave his niece and nephew a great story to show there dad's true one-of-a-kind personality!
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Hauwa oyebanji
5/9/2012 07:35:31 am
i think what he said was kind of interesting. car get spolit, old and and if it isn't working people just throw it away because it is uselless, but humans are never that. you cant compare human with cars because humans are your family and you won't want anything to hurt them. i think it was really important that he showed his children that cars are different from human and it showed his children that it is not a big deal to damage your car, and human are more impotant than things
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Aisha Espinosa
5/9/2012 07:40:09 am
Honestly, it was a surprising, but very funny, thing for him to do. I agree with what he did, though I'm not too sure I'd do it myself. He let the car be "ruined" so no one would feel guilty about it later. As he said, people are people and things are merely things. Yes, things do have sentimental value, but they are in no way more valuable than the people we are lucky to have in our lives.
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Helen Zhang
5/9/2012 08:00:03 am
When Mr. Pausch first decided to dump the can of soda on his new car, I felt confused. I didn't understand his decision even when I understood his logic. I just felt that was a really stupid thing to do. However, after his nephew ruined his car a week later, I knew that his decision was a smart one. He valued his close ones' feelings more than the look of his new car. However, after I thought through his decision, I still couldn't believe the risk that he took. What if his nephew or niece never ruined his car? Wouldn't emptying the can of soda had been a waste? Nevertheless, I bet that's only something a more materialized person like me would think about rather than the amazing Mr. Pausch.
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Joy Johnson
5/9/2012 08:31:35 am
Randy poured soda in the back seat of his brand new convertable. He did this to show the difference between people and things. Randy knows that children make mistakes. He didnt want to make his niece and nephew feel scared in his new car, so he decided to be the first one to spill. I completely respect his decision to pour soda on the back seat of the car. It showed that randy was free willing and would do anything to make his niece and nephew feel welcomed in his new car. This lesson taught them that people are more important than things. It was a very honerable thing to do and i respect him for that!
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Marisa Villanueva
5/9/2012 09:27:28 am
When I read about Randy pouring the soda in his fancy convertible i was sure he had lost it. But the point he was making definately shined through. Objects are just objects and he cared more about the feelings of his neice and nephew. He knew something would happen to it eventually whether he wanted it to or not. So why not just do it yourself in purpose so you don't have to worry about it later? It was a good message and I really like how Randy seemlessly makes every moment valuable. He turned his neice and nephew messing up his car into a valuable lesson that they will never forget.
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Rinith Prasad
5/9/2012 09:35:57 am
I thought that was hilarious and very daring. If I ever owned a car, I would never mess it up. That is just a waste of money!!! Even though ruining a new car by pouring soda on the seats may sound dumb, Pausch was really trying to reveal an different lesson, a head fake; he was trying to show everyone the importance of people over things. He showed that it's alright mess your car up, even if it is new. It's going to happen anyway, might as well you know? I think what he was also saying was that if you take chances, you may actually get something out of it. You get a 50/50 shot at what you do. If you do something, but mess up, its probably going to happen anyway in the future. He wanted to show how much he cared about his nephew and how little he cared about his car. Later on, Randy's nephew throws up in the car anyway, so it doesn't matter. The car got messed up anyway.
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Joshua Chow
5/9/2012 09:41:57 am
I think pouring soda into the backseat was a good way to show the kids that “things” in life are there to help you. Things are not supposed to make you wait on them. Things were created to make life easier. A car is supposed to help you get from point A to point B faster than walking. You should not be hindered by things in life. If you need to throw-up, then do it in the car. The car should not make you have to wait to get to a place you are “allowed” to throw-up in.
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Sanjuktha Pendyala
5/9/2012 10:01:38 am
When I read the part where he just poured the soda on the seat, I was just surprised. I thought you poured soda on such a valuable piece of "thing"?! Later on, I realized that it's not big of a deal. Obviously, you want that stain to go away, you would pay a lot of money to fix that. But that's fine because money is not everything. A car is only for traveling not for the looks. Everyone wants keep their car clean and neat, but I think he did a right thing in front of the kids. He wanted to show that people are way more important than things or known as head fake.
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Lauren Villanueva
5/9/2012 10:20:39 am
I loved his decision so much. I can imagine thinking at the time he was completely crazy but I get the lesson. He taught the kids that it was ok to mess things up because they are just that, things. People are more important than things. He knew that they would probably mess it up anyways, which ends up happening, but he is happy to do it himself first which is great. It was probably the best way someone could teach that important life lesson.
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Joshua Chow
5/9/2012 11:18:20 am
I completely agree with you! I thought he was crazy until he explained. It's important you know it's okay to mess up. If you didn't want to mess up, you wouldn't try and you would never mess up, right? My Mom always said if you made a mistake and truly learned your lesson, you wouldn't do it again! That was after I repeatedly forgot her telling me not to run in the house!
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Joseph Overman
5/9/2012 10:33:19 am
People matter more than possessions. I will admit I wouldn't have the guts to poor soda on a new car, but I still like the lesson he's teaching. Friends and family are so much more valuable than non-living objects. Randy shows his niece and nephew this in a memorable way that'll help them have the same view in life. Ruining the back seat of a car is worth it to help someone you care about.
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Sakina Daresalamwala
5/9/2012 10:44:08 am
I think that it shows that he cares more about the people than he does about things of material value. He knew that the kids might mess up his car, and he didn’t want them to worry about it, so he showed them that it was okay to make a mistake and that there was more to life than worrying if a piece of cloth got dirty. Things can always be replaced, but people cannot, and he knew that. His car was meaningless compared to his niece and nephew and he showed them this by his soda spilling stunt.
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Lauren Rudd
5/9/2012 11:06:41 am
I thought it was the right thing to do. Randy showed his niece and nephew that it is ok for things not to be perfect sometimes...that's just the way it goes. You can't dwell on the fact that there is a stain in your nice car becasue there are way more important things to worry about in the world. If you spend all your time worried about the little things, you will never get anywhere in life.
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Kassidy cragg
5/9/2012 11:25:23 am
I think it was a great lesson. I would have never had the guts to do that to someone else's stuff. But I must say it was pretty clever. It is so true that people are more important than things. In the end nothing can go to heaven with you so why spend so much money on it now? Everything we do is to impress someone or be better. Ou won't get to keep it to long!
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Nicholas Castorina
5/9/2012 11:34:51 am
I think that what he did was right. Even though how valuable some things can be, they are not more valuable than a person. Even though he loved his new car, he poured the soda to show that he cared more about his niece and nephew. After that, if they did something to the car, they wouldn't feel as upset because he didn't really care that they ruined something. Every item, except for relics or family memorabilia, especially Randy's car, is replaceable. He could always go and buy a new car but he could never replace his niece and nephew and he was never going to ruin his relationship with them.
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Miika Jarvela
5/9/2012 01:14:16 pm
People are humans who have actual feelings. They are more important than any material things. Material things are what they are: just things. People should have a higher value than any object. Things such as a car are nice; they help us in life a lot, but we cannot just focus on things that are helpful. If we were to live isolated from any human contact for the rest of our life, but we were given expensive things, I am sure that many of us would not be content. We need something more than material items. Because of this, I believe that Randy’s statement was powerful. Stupid (in a way), but powerful. He could have just told them that it did not matter what they do; that would have given them the same message. But what he did was something much greater; there is a big difference between saying that it’s okay to mess up the car and then actually seeing an adult mess it up. I think that it was okay that he ruined the car; many people would view him as a fool, but I think that the message given to the children is the important part of it.
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Caden Fernando
5/9/2012 01:28:28 pm
The value of a human-beings' life is immeasurable. It far supersedes the value of a material possession, and to disagree with this point would show ill-education. Randy was wise to pour the soda in his backseat, just to make a welcoming statement. He clarified that everyone was human and people are bound to make mistakes. A car is just a car, hundreds of thousands of that exact same model are made daily. It is replaceable, a life is not. He invited the children to make mistakes because it is OK to make them, that is why they were comfortable when his nephew threw-up in the back seat weeks later. They realized it wasn't a big deal. This powerful statement of Randy's could benefit to many. I can promise that the majority of people cling on to the material world, this is something that needs to be changed and Randy is just the start of the epiphany.
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Selase Buatsi
5/9/2012 01:58:08 pm
I think empting the can of soda in the back seat was a good way of showing that he doesn’t care of the kids mess up. I also think that telling the kids that he wouldn’t mind if they ruined his car would have also been efficient, but like I said, ruining his car himself was another way to do it. Randy’s parents taught him that materialistic items are not more important that people. I think that pouring his the soda in his car was also a good way to teach his niece and nephew that same lesson. Also, by ruining his own car, he helped his nephew not to feel guilty after he threw up all over his car. In conclusion, pouring soda in his car was a pretty creative and funny way to get a point across.
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Josh Fink
5/9/2012 11:43:21 pm
Randy emptying his soda in the backseat of his car was one of favorite parts of this book. Even though it is his new car, most likely very expensive, he dumps the soda to prove a point to the kids that they don’t have to be so cautious. Even though it probably left a huge stain and made the car look a little worse, it stood for something bigger. It showed that people are more important than things. The car was just a thing, and the kids were always more relaxed in the car after the soda. Randy didn’t care how the car looked, it still worked. Randy knew kids were going to be kids, and would eventually get the car dirty. So, he got it over real quick.
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Sujay Adhikari
5/10/2012 12:19:45 am
When I first read that he spilled the soda, I was pretty shocked. After he reasoned it out I started to understood why he did it. Things are replaceable, people are not. You need to cherish the time you have with people, instead of worrying about the little things like replaceable items.
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J.C. Humen
5/10/2012 03:01:08 am
I actually picked up on his intentions with the soda can right away. In fact, it was an extremely clever move in my opinion. It showed the kids that they didn't have to spend their time worrying about such simple things like a new car. It also gave the reader a good glimpse of Randy's personality. Here was this beautiful, shiny, and brand new car and Randy just took a can of dark soda and poured it all over the cars back seat, ruining it. But, it was him ruining his car that showed his distinction between objects and people. Because what really made that moment special, was that he exchanged the condition of his car for the happiness of his neice and nephew, showing the order his priorities were in. It was this order of priorities, and this distinction of the values of objects and people that led me to respecting his decision. I kinda wish all people were like that. I wish all people were at a stage where they could put their neighbohrs well being before their own and the well being of objects which have nowhere near as much significance as people. It was in this part of the book that Randy set an amazing example for his kids and the world (Alhough he wasn't aware it would be a desicion that affected so many people at the time).
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dhathri bobba
5/10/2012 08:15:49 am
I was first horrified when he poured a tin of coke in the back of his car. This was damaging a new car! But when I found out why he did it, I was amazed by his state of mind. Most people today put more importance on their personal items then they do on other people. Randy says that this state of mind is very incorrect. He says that things should only be used and that a person is more important than any item we own. My parents yell at me if I ever break a cup or spill food in the car even if it is not my fault and I end up having to be punished for something I did not do. Randy says that is incorrect and that state of mind is very wrong and that people are more important than things. I hope my mom and dad can learn something from Randy!
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Michelle Zhang
5/10/2012 09:07:29 am
He teaches us that things are not as important as people. Things are material, they can always be replaced, they always have a backup. People don't. There's only one of someone. Sure, it may be a horrible one, but there's only one of them. People aren't made of material, they're made of substance. Substance can't be replaced as easily as material can.
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Isabelle Garza
5/10/2012 11:48:34 am
People vs. things. Something we should all ponder. Randy's decision to empty the can of soda on his new car showed that things are just things they arent nearly as imprtant as people. This small action prooved that it didnt matter is a material thing was a little damaged. People have feelings and cant be replaced, material things dont and can be replaced.
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Vishnu Kunadharaju
5/10/2012 12:05:13 pm
Well at first you know I was kind of shocked to see someone just pour soda on there brand new Volkswagen Cabrio Convertible. I mean if I poured soda on the backseat of a new car my mom would probably ground me for the whole month. But as I kept on reading when I found out the reason he had actually poured the soda I would have actually supported him. Even though a new Volkswagen Cabrio Convertible is really cool but still it is a thing. If something happened to the car then I would probably just buy another. Basically I agree that a person is more important then thing. A thing is something you can always replace but you can never replace a person.
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Myles Paschall
5/10/2012 12:36:50 pm
I thought that Randy pouring the soda in the backseat of thee car was really funny but i also respect him for doing it. you see, Randy is just showing that he respect people way for that items. The item would get ruined some other time anyway.And it can always be replaced.
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Katy Hensel
5/10/2012 01:52:01 pm
I don't believe in things. Where are they ever going to get you in life. All things do is get you recognition from other people who value things. When you die, all those things go to other people. They never truly mattered. Sentimental value doesn't mean anything if you aren't there to appreciate it. When Randy dumped that bottle of coke in the back of his car, I cheered for him(in my head of course. I was in class). I thought it was a grand gesture for him to make. It seems like the things that matter are the jeans you wear, the car you own, the phone you use. In all honesty, those things won't even matter in ten years, so why obsess over them. Things last for a little while, until you get bored or throw them away. Or if they get burned in a fire. Your ideas and thoughts and what you learn never truly die. You pass them onto you kids and your grandkids and so on. I mean, Randy has been dead for a few years, and yet his wisdom and message lives on. It didn't matter what he wore when he gave his last lecture speech. What mattered is what he said and what everyone else did with it.
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Elbio Guedilla
5/10/2012 10:32:09 pm
I guess that it was a good idea because in the end he had a good reason to do it.
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Zane Erickson
5/13/2012 06:02:20 am
It was a great idea because it showed his niece and nephew; hey have some fun! It also showed that as long as you have family around you don't need fancy things to be happy. I.E- Convertibles.
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