All the local graduation ceremonies are now behind us, and for those involved, the thoughts have no doubt turned to college preparations, work plans and summer fun.
But before the graduation season is completely over, I wanted to throw my 2 cents into what is annually a never-ending pool of advice given to new grads.
Words of Advice No. 1: Hold your head high.
Be proud of who you are and what you've accomplished. Take pride in being young and having a lifetime ahead of you.
It's a popular sport nowadays for older adults to take aim at the young generations, painting them in broad strokes for their "selfish" attitudes, and "entitlement" world views. It's commonplace to see lists of advice to graduates with cynical comments like, "Life is not fair; get used to it" and "Think your teacher is tough? Wait until you get a boss."
While the above adages are probably true, here's the thing those proclaiming such "wisdom" don't seem to notice: Advice like that ought to be given to folks from EVERY generation. Indeed, I've witnessed people in their 30s, 40s and 50s who think the world owes them something. I've seen people in their 70s and 80s who have me-first world views.
Yes, you should know the world is not fair. Yes, you should work hard before you earn anything. Yes, you should take responsibility for your own problems.
But so should everyone else in the world.
So don't let anyone make you feel inferior just because you are young. The world is full of inferior people. Strive not to be one, and don't worry about the naysayers.
Words of Advice No. 2: Don't stop learning.
You may have just finished high school, or you may have just completed college, but that doesn't mean you are done with education. You should look at your life as one big learning experience.
Sure, the days of algebraic equations and periodic tables might be behind you, but there is still a world of learning to be cherished.
When you meet new people, you can learn from their experiences. When you travel to new places, you can learn about the wide world in which we live. When you make mistakes, you can learn what you should have done differently. You can learn from your parents and your grandparents. Down the road, you will learn from your children.
And don't be afraid to learn new things. Just because you never sang in the choir or played in the band doesn't mean you can't learn to be a musician. Just because you never went out for a sports team doesn't mean you can't take up golf or tennis or running or any other sport.
The person you are right now shouldn't be the person you are 5, 10 or 20 years from now.
Advice No. 3: Be nice.
You should have learned this one in kindergarten, but it's all too easy to forget.
We need more nice people in this world. We need people who stop to check on the disabled motorist in the Walmart parking lot. We need people who take a plate of cookies to a neighbor who helped them out. We need people who say "please" and "thank you" and "you're welcome."
For that matter, we need people who are willing to help their entire community. Though we now live in an era dominated by social media, our physical communities are still important. So volunteer for local charities. Shop locally whenever possible. Speak kindly of your hometown at home and abroad. Strive to always be a part of the solution, and rarely a part of the problem.
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I'm not going to claim this is the most profound advice in the world. One of the toughest things about being a graduate must be trying to figure out whose advice you should take and whose you should ignore. So, if you take mine, great. If not, that's OK too.
Either way, I wish all grads a great summer, and fantastic future.
aweld@blythevillecourier.com