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June is graduation season, and if you’re like me you
will probably attend at least one or two. High school commencements
are my favorite, mostly because of the speeches.
I did not give the valedictory address at my high
school. I could have, but it turned out you had to have good
grades. That didn’t seem important until my independence from free
room and board drew near, though if I’d known I could have the
undivided attention of the entire school I might have buckled down
sooner.
My class was a solemn lot, finishing at the tail end of
the Vietnam War and soon to be the first 18-year-olds to vote in an
American presidential election. Our graduation speakers lectured
that the world was a mess, but with foresight and vision we would
quickly rescue it from the bumbling of our elders.
Well, at least we went on to have children who might
save it from us.
Today’s grads take a lighter tone, recent events aside.
It is my fondest hope that somewhere in the country a high school
graduation will take place without use of the word “dude,” but a
little less self-righteousness is probably healthy. If I were 18
today, but knew how much I didn’t know, the graduation speech I’d
give might sound like this:
“Dudes, dudettes, faculty, staff, parents, stepparents,
surrogate parents, significant others, and those who saw the stadium
lights and thought this was a football game: Yo! The class of 2002
welcomes you.
“It has been four long years. We entered this school as
children and leave it now as adults. That is the legal definition
of an 18-year-old, you know, so it must be true.
“So far being an adult has been pretty cool. You get to
drive a car, stay out late, party with friends, and see any movie
you want. Our parents are adults too, but they don’t do any of
those things except drive, mainly to work or to watch us play
sports. This is because they have been busy with other grown-up
stuff, like supporting us.
“Now it is time to join them in the real world. What is
the real world? Is it college and a career? A spouse and family?
Is it homelessness, poverty, or addiction? In truth I have no idea
what the real world is but I suspect it is mainly a choice. College
is as real to the student as a fix to the junkie; the two chose
their realities. Not that some things don’t just happen, but how we
handle those is a choice too.
“It is said that kids today have it harder than any
other American generation. I don’t know about that either because
mine is the only generation I’ve watched grow up. My grandfather
was raised during the Depression and served in World War II so he
might know, but when I ask he laughs so hard he spits out his teeth.
“We have heard that high school would be the best years
of our lives. If we look back someday and find that was true, I
think we will have done something wrong. High school was great, yet
scary as the world is there are endless ways to make a difference.
I can’t tell you what they all are, but I don’t want to sit around
waiting to inherit the future. Let’s go out and earn it. That,
dudes, will be the best time.
“I would like to close with a prayer, but I don’t want
to enter adulthood with a lawsuit hanging over me. So please bow
your heads and quietly log on to my Web site for a few words of
thanks. World without end, amen.”
OK, I said “dude.” But I was young, wasn’t I?
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