GRADUATION SPEECH CLASS OF 2001

This afternoon, as we left the lower gym and walked to the athletic field for this ceremony, I did something I always do when I get to the bottom of the hill. I looked forward at the crowd gathered here and at the empty seats that await the graduating class, and then I looked backward at the wavy line of maroon and white caps and gowns and the smiling faces of excited young men and women. Four years of memories wash over me and give me a lump in my throat as I realize that this is the last time I will see you as students. I smile, though, as I think of the highlights of your high school years just past and of all of the possibilities that lie before you, and I eagerly anticipate the visits and the news you'll share as alums. Graduation is bittersweet as we adults wistfully say goodbye and you eagerly say hello to college, to work, to new experiences, and new friends. Many of you have had one foot out the door all year, while others are wishing desperately to stay put in the comfort of CCHS and home. But it is time for you to move on.
You have honored me by asking me to speak at your graduation. I have truly enjoyed working with you and watching you grow up academically and personally. You have delighted me with your many achievements in and out of class. You have shared your disappointments as well as the good times of your lives. You have impressed and wowed me with your insight in discussions and essays. You have amazed me by the demanding schedules you have kept. You have made me laugh - a lot - with your marvelous senses of humor. You have been a special group to me so I was thrilled, but stunned, by your invitation, and I wondered what I could tell you on this happy occasion. I sought, and was given, advice from family and friends; I went through the lessons I have taught you about writing and speaking. Finally, I did what I have always told you to do: I put your faces in front of me and I talked to you.
Teaching at CCHS is one of the joys of my life, and there is much here for which to be thankful. Thank you to parents for giving us such terrific young people with whom to work; to Elaine DiCicco, our principal, for your leadership and for all of the years and caring you have given to this school; to the School Committee and the school administration for working hard on our behalf. Thank you, fellow teachers, for providing an intellectually stimulating environment in which to work and learn and for giving our students the best education around. You, Class of 2001, will realize just how good CCHS is when you meet others and hear about their high schools.
Over the past four years, you have heard me say, "be fair, strive for excellence, manage your time well, be good to each other, show respect for others, have good manners." If I were to be a part of your futures, I would continue to say the same things because they are cornerstones of life. But in your futures, I will be a memory - a good one, I hope - so I only have a few minutes here to give you one more lesson. There will be no essay or test; the assessment will be in how you live your lives.
I would like to be able to guarantee a good life for each of you, but that, too, is beyond me. You will now be in charge of your lives, and the lessons and guidance we have given you should hold you in good stead. There are qualities you can acquire or strengthen to help you to create a good life, and today I will mention a few - not in order of importance either because there will be times in which one will be more important than another.
With regard to the future: dream big. Dreams help you to do great things, large and small. Dreams help you to make the impossible possible, to set the direction of your lives, and to make changes for the better; even better, change the world and make it better. To dream big allows great discoveries and inventions to be made. To dream big puts energy and spark into each day. To dream big makes you continue to seek excellence. You have seen and experienced excellence time and time again these past four years so I hope that the desire for it is embedded deeply within you.
Continue to learn. A school is not the only place where learning occurs nor is academic learning the only kind. Be curious, be open to others whose interests differ from yours, read, - read more. Learn something new every day. You will develop new passions, you will develop your brain, and you will be an interesting person. I don't want you to be dull.
Take responsibility for your successes and your failures. Enjoy the former, and learn from the latter. If others helped you to be successful, acknowledge and thank them; if others were involved in disappointment, encourage them to work with you to be successful the next time.
Foster good relationships. They will help you with those big dreams, they will help you to keep you real, and they will help you to maintain perspective in good and in difficult times. You sit here with friends from preschool, elementary, middle, and high schools. Stay connected as you move to college, to work, and beyond. Your lives will be richer and more enjoyable as a result. Be involved in your community in some way. Those relationships, too, will help you.
Be resilient. Some of you already are. When disappointment hits, and it will, you have to face it, deal with it, and get beyond it. There is inner strength in all of us and is there whenever we need it. Being resilient is a large factor in being successful, in being healthy and positive in your attitude and thinking, in making your dreams come true.
Find your passion in life. It could be your family, your job, or your hobby. Being passionate about something gives you focus and delight, energy and a zest for living. The Atlantic Monthly had an article by David Brooks in its April issue titled "The Next Ruling Class - The Organization Kid" that told of incredibly busy Princeton students whose purpose was to be successful later in life and whose lives were so filled with things to do that they had to schedule appointments with friends. As I read the article, I marveled at their time management skills, but I noticed and was dismayed with the lack of passion in their lives. I fear I have seen a similar pattern in some of your lives as you prepared for the college admissions process. I hope that you will be successful, but I also hope that you won't have to schedule "passionate interest - gardening" on your Palm Pilots or whatever new gizmo will be available to you.
Laugh. Laughter is important. It shows enjoyment of life and of others, it shows liveliness of spirit, it shows intelligence. It makes a bad day better. If you laugh, you are not a bore. If you take yourself too seriously, you may not find satisfaction in life. Laughter helps to heal, and research proves this statement to be true. Make sure you laugh every day. Remember, I don't want you to be dull.
You will come to understand that you are not the center of the universe and that your interests and priorities are not the most important for others with whom you are associated. Think, too, about others and their needs.
Life is a journey meant to be lived, not endured. Love the journey, and enjoy each step. Delight in the ordinary as well as the extraordinary. Savor the simple and marvel at the complicated. Live rather than exist. There is a song that I often hear on the radio and its lyrics seem appropriate for graduation. I have chosen some of the lines that Lee Ann Womack sings:

I hope you never lose your sense of wonder
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger
May you never take one single breath for granted …
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean…
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin'…
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance
I hope you dance

I want all of you to have good lives. Thank you for a superb four years. Good luck, good health, success, and happiness. I wish you all good things. May those big dreams come true.