graduation
well, since i didn't make the cut for graduation speeches, i figure i'd just post it here for everyone:
When I first stepped onto campus back in 2001, I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of new faces. I had to get accustomed to high school very quickly-to know the cliques and where I could and couldn’t eat lunch. I think we all were intimidated by being little fish in a big pond. I know that I was. I started being self-conscious, thinking about how to fit in. How not to screw up. How to be cool. How to be popular.
But as I matured and progressed through high school, I began to come to the realization that is more evident to me now than ever before. All those things that I was concerned about are temporary. After tonight, when we leave the place that’s been our home for the past 4 years, there will be no such thing as “the most popular kid.” The stereotypes of “band geeks,” “jocks,” and “loners” will cease to exist because they have all been defined by high school. Now, as we go off in our own directions, the only thing that defines us is ourselves, our own actions and what we choose to make of our lives.
One of the scariest moments of my life was when I realized that I was in control of my life, and assumed all the responsibilities involved. But at the same time, that was when I felt freedom in its purest form. The possibilities that lie before us are limitless, like a never-ending choose-your-own-adventure book. The only catch is that we can’t go back and change things. There is no practice test for life, as I’m sure most of us have figured out by ourselves. I remember being young and watching movies and TV, thinking to myself that if I really wanted to, I could live like those characters. But now, when I watch things about high school, I realize that those opportunities have passed. Even if I really wanted to, there’s no way I can be a part of the Breakfast Club. Those doors have closed, just like how there will never be another senior prom for us.
And that’s why I urge you, the Class of 2005, to live your lives to the fullest. Don’t look back on your life and ask, “What if?” What if you’d asked out that girl sophomore year? What if you’d taken that other class or ran for that cabinet position? What if you had done this or what if you had done that? The bad news is that until someone discovers how to travel back in time, you’ll never have answers to those questions. The good news is that the actions you take now shape your future. We are all fortunate enough to have a new start ahead of us. An open book full of blank pages, where we are both the author and the main character.
So, please, my fellow classmates, I urge you to live. Take that chance. Don’t dwell in the past or worry too much about the future. Live in the moment and take enough risks so that another 4 years from now, you don’t look back and ask yourself, “What if?”
good night
When I first stepped onto campus back in 2001, I was overwhelmed with the sheer number of new faces. I had to get accustomed to high school very quickly-to know the cliques and where I could and couldn’t eat lunch. I think we all were intimidated by being little fish in a big pond. I know that I was. I started being self-conscious, thinking about how to fit in. How not to screw up. How to be cool. How to be popular.
But as I matured and progressed through high school, I began to come to the realization that is more evident to me now than ever before. All those things that I was concerned about are temporary. After tonight, when we leave the place that’s been our home for the past 4 years, there will be no such thing as “the most popular kid.” The stereotypes of “band geeks,” “jocks,” and “loners” will cease to exist because they have all been defined by high school. Now, as we go off in our own directions, the only thing that defines us is ourselves, our own actions and what we choose to make of our lives.
One of the scariest moments of my life was when I realized that I was in control of my life, and assumed all the responsibilities involved. But at the same time, that was when I felt freedom in its purest form. The possibilities that lie before us are limitless, like a never-ending choose-your-own-adventure book. The only catch is that we can’t go back and change things. There is no practice test for life, as I’m sure most of us have figured out by ourselves. I remember being young and watching movies and TV, thinking to myself that if I really wanted to, I could live like those characters. But now, when I watch things about high school, I realize that those opportunities have passed. Even if I really wanted to, there’s no way I can be a part of the Breakfast Club. Those doors have closed, just like how there will never be another senior prom for us.
And that’s why I urge you, the Class of 2005, to live your lives to the fullest. Don’t look back on your life and ask, “What if?” What if you’d asked out that girl sophomore year? What if you’d taken that other class or ran for that cabinet position? What if you had done this or what if you had done that? The bad news is that until someone discovers how to travel back in time, you’ll never have answers to those questions. The good news is that the actions you take now shape your future. We are all fortunate enough to have a new start ahead of us. An open book full of blank pages, where we are both the author and the main character.
So, please, my fellow classmates, I urge you to live. Take that chance. Don’t dwell in the past or worry too much about the future. Live in the moment and take enough risks so that another 4 years from now, you don’t look back and ask yourself, “What if?”
good night