Paul Allen teaching us to get busy living

I’ve never met Paul Allen. I do not know Paul Allen, but like many of you, I’ve watched his career from afar.

RELATED: Paul Allen is optimistic after cancer diagnosis

What I do know is that cancer sucks, and I was sad to learn that his cancer is back. Because of his stature, he made an announcement about going back into treatment.

Even though I’ve never met Paul Allen, from the outside looking in, it really seems like he is consciously living his life instead of waiting around for the cancer to do its thing.

Imagine building Microsoft with your pal Bill Gates, then finding out you have cancer and just walking away from one of the most important companies of the last century. That’s what he did. It’s not that difficult to connect the dots. I picture Allen taking out a pad of paper and writing down the things he was really passionate about. Travel, music, sports, and understanding how things work. Then he decided to leave the day-to-day grind of running Microsoft and he decided to live.

Travel? Why yes I’d like a yacht, a submarine, and a few dozen planes. Music? Of course, I’ll call Frank Gehry and build a museum to house my Jimi Hendrix collection. Sports? How about the Seahawks and the Portland Trailblazers? Oh, and maybe I’ll fund a foundation that will figure out how the brain works. No big deal. I could go on, but you get the point.

He has a lot of money and has done some big and interesting things, but I think some of it can be traced back to his cancer scare. Not everyone embraces life when the prospect of death rears its head. It seems to me that he did.

Cancer touches nearly everyone directly, me included. I’ve watched loved ones have to make this exact choice. Am I going to live my life or just wait for death? I think we all could take a page of inspiration from Paul Allen and when faced with the prospect of chemo and surgery, choose to live. Live as big as you can and do the things that excite you.

I’m reminded of one my favorite movies, Shawshank Redemption. Andy is about to break out of prison and he wants his friend Red to join him down in Mexico. He challenges him to “Get busy living or get busy dying.”

Paul Allen was optimistic that his doctors could help him get a good result again with his cancer. I hope so. I’m thankful that he reminds us all to get busy living.

Appreciate that… https://t.co/hFwhhDvZfo

— Ron. (@FMRon) October 3, 2018

“What Are We Talking About Here” can be heard every weekday at 4:50 p.m. and 6:50 p.m. on the Ron & Don Show on KIRO Radio 97.3 FM.