Advice for the graduates

If you were called upon to give a speech to the students who graduated from Jay County High School on Sunday, what would you say?
It’s a challenge that was faced this weekend by students speaking to their classmates.
But it’s something that the rest of us — those for whom high school is just a memory — ought to consider.
What advice would we give? What perspective could we offer? And what could anyone say that would be memorable 15 minutes later?
Still, these are young people embarking on an entirely new phase of their lives. It’s up to the rest of us to offer something more than a “whoo-hoo!” shouted from the bleachers when our kid receives a diploma.
So how about this:
•Be patient. That’s hard when you’ve grown up in an era of Instant Breakfast. But it’s still sound advice. Accept the fact that success and happiness aren’t guaranteed, and they certainly aren’t on the same schedule as the pizza delivery you ordered. Some people become an “overnight success” when they turn 50 or 60 or 70 or more. Think like a brick mason. Lay one brick at a time.
•Be humble. That’s really hard when you’re the star of the graduation party. But guess what? It’s not all about you anymore. Recognize that you’re still learning. Be a student for the rest of your life, even if it’s only informally.
•Be tolerant. Not everyone is like you, and not everyone knows how wonderful you are. The differences between us can be barriers or they can be bridges. Life’s more satisfying when they are bridges. Besides, how boring would things be if we were all alike?
•Be curious. No one knows what’s around the next corner in terms of technology, medicine, or geopolitics. The changes the past few generations have witnessed still have them scratching their heads. Don’t be afraid to be an early adopter of something new.
•Participate. Life means more when you engage with others. Join in. Be part of things bigger than yourself. That means unplugging from your computer and the Internet regularly, talking to real live human beings face to face, and working together to accomplish something.
•Think big. Sure, you’re just out of school, but don’t be afraid to dream in the largest terms possible. Ask yourself how you’d like to change the world and what you’d like to leave behind, and act on that.
•Hang onto your sense of humor and — most importantly — be prepared to laugh at yourself. It’s good for you, and keeps you grounded.
An incomplete list? You bet.
But it’s a start. — J.R.[[In-content Ad]]