Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:
Wear sunscreen.
If I could offer you
only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of
sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no
basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this
advice now.
Enjoy the power and
beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and
beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll
look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how
much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not
as fat as you imagine.
Don't worry about the
future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an
algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt
to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you
Do one thing every day
that scares you.
Sing.
Don't be reckless with
other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
Floss.
Don't waste your time
on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long
and, in the end, it's only with yourself.
Remember compliments
you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.
Keep your old love
letters. Throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch.
Don't feel guilty if
you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people
I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the
most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.
Maybe you'll marry,
maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll
divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on
your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too
much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body. Use
it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of
it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance, even if you
have nowhere to do it but your living room.
Read the directions,
even if you don't follow them.
Do not read beauty
magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your
parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings.
They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with
you in the future.
Understand that
friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to
bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more
you need the people who knew you when you were young.
Live in
Accept certain
inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too,
will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young,
prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their
elders.
Respect your elders.
Don't expect anyone
else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy
spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.
Don't mess too much
with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.
Be careful whose
advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of
nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping
it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But
trust me on the sunscreen.