As we move closer to the more formal pomp and circumstance coming this weekend — and prior to posting our second “Note to the Graduate” — I thought it may be interesting to observe the encouragement others have offered this special time of year. What words do people say to the young men and women now entering adulthood?
I laughed when SNL’s Maya Rudolph encouraged Tulane grads to “take as many bikini photos as you can now” because, well, the body changes. I smiled, as well, at the wisdom Jon Bon Jovi continues to exude, evident in his address at Rutgers University, where he sang, “This isn’t how the story ends, my friends; it’s just a fork along the road.”
I was equally intrigued by the words Meredith Viera shared at Boston University: “Be the left shark. Remember last Super Bowl, when the Patriots won? You may be thinking of Tom Brady’s deflated balls right now, but I’m thinking of Katy Perry’s halftime performance. She was on stage dancing with two sharks. The shark on the right knew every dance move and performed perfectly. But it was the left shark, the one who went rogue and danced to his own crazy beat, who stole the show. So don’t ever be a conformist for convenience’s sake. Be the left shark.”
…the left shark…
I remember Wellesley High School English teacher David McCullough, Jr. who caused a bit of a social media ruckus last year when he encouraged students to not think of themselves more highly than they ought. He added: “If you’ve learned anything in your years here I hope it’s that education should be for, rather than material advantage, the exhilaration of learning. You’ve learned, too, I hope, as Sophocles assured us, that wisdom is the chief element of happiness. (Second is ice cream… just an fyi) I also hope you’ve learned enough to recognize how little you know… how little you know now… at the moment… for today is just the beginning. It’s where you go from here that matters.”
(Yes, where they go from here matters…)
I must say, I’m not as keen on candidates or in-office politicians making commencement speeches. There’s too much political posturing and underlying motives that seem less than transparently stated. Something about an Ellen DeGeneres just feels a little more refreshing.
Perhaps my favorite borrowed words, though, come not from the well-deserving, revered lists — lists that always include the speeches of Winston Churchill, John F. Kennedy, and Steve Jobs. I’m instead drawn to the words of a cartoonist, poet, and children’s author — words most likely never penned with graduation in mind. I love the words of Shel Silverstein…
I think of Silverstein’s words as my son’s ceremony nears. I think of them as I reflect upon the past 18 years… where my son has succeeded… where he’s seemingly failed… where he’s learned and grown and picked himself right back up again. I think about my role as a parent… where I’ve succeeded… where I’ve seemingly failed… and where I have learned and grown and picked myself up again. I think about the humbling, awesome responsibility of parenting — and of any who consistently invests in the younger generation.
One aspect which has been clear since birth is that the day would come when these grads would embrace their independence, leave our homes, and become adults. We’ve had the privilege of sharing in their journey — albeit sometimes, no doubt, even getting in the way. We have been their bridge from birth ‘til now. Hence, the words of Silverstein…
“The bridge will only take you halfway there, to those mysterious lands you long to see. Through gypsy camps and swirling Arab fair, and moonlit woods where unicorns run free. So come and walk awhile with me and share the twisting trails and wondrous worlds I’ve known. But this bridge will only take you halfway there. The last few steps you have to take alone.”
The twisting trails together have been a privilege. It’s time for our grads to take the next few steps… maybe even like the left shark… dancing to a crazy beat all their own.
Respectfully…
AR