Our future is in the hands of young graduates (05/22/06)

Our newspaper prints the photographs of high school seniors in the area every year. This year it was my job to type all their names and place their pictures in the proper places. So if I have inadvertently switched someone, I apologize in advance.

I was struck by how young most of the teens appeared. I realize that is a symptom of my advancing age and probably my impending senility as well. After all, I have been a part of the “over 30” crowd for some time now. It seems like only yesterday that we looked up to high school seniors with something akin to reverence from all of us underclassmen. After all, these were people who were familiar with the hallways and secret hiding places in the buildings we inhabited for many hours every day. They had so much more self-assurance that those of us who were freshmen wandering around trying to find room 307B. Seniors had no trouble locating their lockers and never gave up and “adopted” an empty one the third week of school. Yeah, I really did that. More than once.

Even though fashions change from year to year, the innocence in those young faces stays the same. Sure, some of them try to look bored or even worldly but under it all lies hope and naiveté. I look at all the girls who are so pretty and hope against hope that none of them will be the victim of domestic violence even though I know that some of them will. I also know that some of them will rise above the odds and succeed beyond anyone’s expectations. They will climb mountains and possibly even rule countries.

I see the boys, few of whom crack a smile, and wonder which of them will be the bank presidents and which will end up behind bars. I see the one with the Charles Manson eyes and know that underneath the bravado is a soul wanting to be accepted and loved. I see hairstyles that would have generated laughter and derision a decade ago and which will cause the same reaction when these kids have children of their own.

They are all our children no matter how old they really are. We have prepared them as best we know how to go out into the world on their own and yet it will not be enough. Some of them will stumble and fall. Some will succeed and some will die young. Some will be inventors, soldiers and parents. Some will not. They will be ordinary and extraordinary. No matter what road they choose we will always love them for they are a part of us.

They seem to be so much more knowledgeable than we were at that age. They are comfortable with technology and willingly reset the VCR whenever asked. For those of us old enough to be their parents or grandparents computers are evil machines bent on making our lives more frustrating. For this generation of young people computers are like so much background noise, ubiquitous and harmless.

And yet, for all their worldliness they are still innocent. Their bones don’t ache and creak when they climb the stairs. Their bodies are still youthful and resilient. They have a spring in their step. Their eyes are still clear and their dreams are intact. They haven’t slammed shut the doors of possibility or given up their secret wishes. The world is there for the taking and take it they will.

They will reshape the world just like every generation has since the beginning of humanity. They will cure diseases and raise children. Under all the tattoos, weird hair, earrings in odd places and strange clothes are young people who care. They will grow and mature just like we did. They will make the world a better place just by having been born. In their dreams and aspirations lies our future.[[In-content Ad]]