Graduation
Speech – The Last Lesson
Good
evening ladies and gentlemen.
Seniors
- Its is only fitting that I stand up here with you tonight. When
Emily came to ask me to speak in a way that only Emily can, laced
with profanities and a smile, I was reminded back to my first days at
Profile 4 years ago. You were a gangly bunch of pubescent,
wide-eyed freshmen and I was the long term sub with 9 and ½ fingers.
I
remember when I arrived in April of your freshmen year Ms. Vashaw
said to me, “they have had a tough year, just teach them
something....” I am not sure if I did but I am guessing that at
least a few of you remember what happen in 1066 or what market
equilibrium is or at least what it wants to be.
Tonight,
you are a not so gangly bunch of wide eyed seniors on the exciting
and frightening precipice of true adulthood. For me, I have a lot
more gray hair and I will be back to Profile on Monday. Yes, this is
a COMMENCEMENT: the beginning of something new. But it is important
to remember that this is also an end for some and an end worth
celebrating. And since you are more attentive right now than you
ever were in my classroom , it certainly helps to have 300 people
staring at you, I am going to take the opportunity to teach you one
LAST LESSON:
Today
is your day, now June 7th, 2013 your veritable “born-on”
date, a certified, gentrified, product packaged and ready to go off
into the market of the “real-world” as they say. You have been
deemed ready. Everyone in this room hopes that you have the will and
the skill to make something of yourselves. Some of you will succeed
and some might not. And if you feel like you are not prepared, don't
worry about it. Because despite what we have been telling you during
your high school career and what we are certifying tonight, the
content of our curriculum matters little tomorrow.
Tomorrow,
it is the content of your characters that will be the measure of
your success.
You
see, in a lot of ways we have prepared you for a life of “getting.”
You have gotten grades and awards. You have gotten in trouble and
gotten second chances. You have gotten hurt and you have gotten
help. And in just a few minutes your are going to get your diplomas.
Clearly, you are well prepared to “get” things. This is easily
measurable process of accumulation under the false pretense that if
you have MORE you are better.
Well,
there is an old Zen story about a brilliant University Professor,
with all the awards and accolades, who travels to Japan to “get”
the truth about Zen from a master. When he arrives the master pours
him a cup of tea. Once the cup is full the master continues to pour
until the Professor can't take it and blurts out, “old man, the cup
is overfull, no more will go in!” The master responds, “Like
this cup, you are full of your own opinions and speculations. How
can I show you the truth unless you first empty your cup?”
So
seniors, the truth is tonight your cups are full. You have proven
your competency and passed your tests. We have filled you with
knowledge and you have developed opinions and speculations.
My last
assignment for you is tomorrow you need to begin to empty your cups.
Focus your energy on the process of giving rather than getting.
Only by emptying your cups will you be open to the ways and the
wonders of the world outside of the protective nest of Profile and
that will unleash the unbelievable power within yourselves.
The
great Winston Churchill put it best when he said, “we make a living
by what we get, we make a life but what we give.”
So
seniors, It is GIVING that measures the content of our characters and
in the end that is all that matters. So good luck, give fully, thank
you.
