Some of this advice may be a bit late for some of us, but it's still good
for our kids and theirs. :o))) Sharon
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Ladies and
Gentlemen of the class of '99:
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; where as 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. Nevermind. You
will not
understand the power and beauty of your youth until they fail you.
But trust
me, in twenty years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and
recall in a
way you can't grasp now how much possibilty 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
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 at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday
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
what other
people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.
Dance. Even
if you have no where to do it but in your own 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 the 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 you knew when you
were young.
Live in New York City once but leave before it makes you hard.
Live
in Northern California once but leave before it makes you
soft.
Travel.
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.
