**
*ahem*
"Wow. Well, I hate to say it, but the first thing that comes to mind as I look out upon my fellow graduates is: "Where is everybody?" And though it's true that we're one of the smallest classes to have ever come out of Dundee High School, we have left our mark in many ways.
Throughout our high school years, we have been among the most
spirited, active, and overall successful students, and as these days have
come to an end, one can't help but reflect back upon all we've
accomplished. And by doing that, anticipate the great things that lie ahead
for each one of us.
On the other hand, you cannot anticipate future accomplishments
without fretting over future failures. But really, what is failure? You've
failed many times, although you may not remember. You fell down the first
time you tried to walk, and you almost drowned the first time you tried to
swim. And did you actually hit the ball the first time you ever swung a bat?
Failure is a part of life, and the risk of failure is constant. But, if you
spend your life hiding under a rock out of the fear of failure and never take
a chance, what will you ever learn?
In the long-run we regret the chances left un-taken more than those we
choose to take, so never be afraid to goof up. A mistake is only a mistake if
you fail to learn from it. I know each one of us today has plans and dreams, and
I know that each one of us can achieve every one of those things if we never
give up. Petty fear is far too often the only thing that keeps us from our dreams.
To succeed, we must press on, no matter what stands in our way, or how bad
things get.
At times, it may seem like, due to the decisions that you've made, you
are all alone in this world, but that is never true. And just when you think
you've lost it all is when you'll find yourself, so never give up, and never
sell yourself short. You all deserve better than that.
Whatever doesn't kill you will make you stronger, and by emerging from
the adversities the world has thrust upon you, it will make you more self-
confident, and make you want your dream more than ever.
NEVER give up. Life is the most precious gift you can receive, and in
turn, is the greatest thing you can ever lose. In this world, we ALL
matter...when we WANT to.
You needn't answer to anyone from here on out. Live your life as an
exclamation, not an explanation. Your fate is in your hands. If you want
this world to someday invest in you, you must first to invest in yourself.
Holdfast to your dreams, and never let anyone talk you out of them. There
are two things in life that can never be taken away from us: identity and
ambition. Wherever ambition can be found, raw emotion lies not far
behind, and where there is emotion, nothing is impossible.
And remember that it's ok to be selfish sometimes, because friends and
mere aquaintences may come and go, but you're stuck with yourself until
the end.
So now...because you're probably getting tired of my babbling, and
because, the time has come, I'd like to leave you with a stanza of poetry
that I wrote:
Now...GO HOME!
