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Congratulations Graduates! The text of the speech is below. Click on Writings for a printable version and for the text of the 1996 speech. Also, check the new Graduation 2004 site. Thanks again for the introduction Antwon. Send me copy when you get a chance. Thank you Wingate Grant for sending me all the pictures on this site so far. If anyone has a video of the ceremony, I would love to have a copy.Andrew and Emily, great speeches. Could you send me copies? I'll put them on this site if you don't mind. Thanks again Class of 2004. It was a great day and we will forever be bound together by it. I'd like to have a picture of you too when one becomes available.
Thank
you Antwon, and thank you to the seniors for choosing me as your speaker.
I remember when I spoke to the class of 1996 eight years ago. Things
were perhaps not as polished as they are today.
No one asked me about my biographical information then, so Mr. Hamlin,
who was the president of that class, was left to come up with something on his
own. I’ve always remembered and
appreciated what he said though. He
said, “Mr. Alley is an extremely fair teacher.”
He also said that when he asked his classmates what he should say about
me, all the guys said, “He’s so cool,” and all the girls said, “He’s
so hot.” I don’t know if those
things are still true, or if they ever were, but I hope I am still considered a
fair teacher. Now, many of you have
probably heard from your parents, when you’ve objected, “That’s not
fair,” that the world is not fair, and they are right.
It’s not fair that people die at young ages or suffer throughout their
lives from diseases they contracted through no fault of their own.
It’s not fair that any child dies.
It’s also not fair that the Braves have only one World Series
Championship, and it’s certainly not fair that while the 2004 Trinity Golf
Team had its most successful season in ten years, I was not named Coach of the
Year! No, the world is not fair, and
that is a valuable lesson to learn in life, but some people seem to relish this
fact. (Not mustard or ketchup but
relish!) They proclaim that
the world is not fair, and this gives them the excuse to ignore all kinds of
injustice. I’m reminded here of
what I believe is called the Serenity Prayer, which asks, “Grant me the
serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things
I can, and the wisdom to know the difference.”
Just because some things will never be fair doesn’t mean nothing can
be. So, my first bit of advice to
you is to try to make the world a fairer place to be.
I’ve
of course been given advice as to what else I should say to you here today.
Some students in my AP Government classes (Lee Stratton!) just wanted me
to play the Current Events Quiz Game with the whole group here, the seniors
against everyone else. I know many
of you are expecting some of the brilliant wit I exhibit on a daily basis in the But
Mrs. Towles I recently read my speech from 1996 as I was preparing to write this
one, and the more I read the more I began to think, this is damn good advice,
and I wrote it. Why should I deprive
this group of such wisdom just because I’ve said it before?
So here is a brief, not boxer, sample of the wisdom I imparted eight
years ago.
“Enjoy and treasure your college years because they represent a once in
a lifetime experience. Find someone
with whom to share your life, and share theirs with them. But
don't do it so quickly that you miss the pleasures of being single. Value
your family because it is the only one you have.
Always be tolerant of people who are different from you. Never
be politically correct, but don't confuse the First Amendment with a license to
be rude and insensitive to other people's feelings.
Treat people with the respect and dignity they deserve.
Always question authority and tradition, but once you have questioned
them, listen to their answers with an open mind. Always
cherish the fact that you live in a democracy, and always exercise the most
basic right that those living in a democracy have, VOTE!
Remember that many Americans have died in order that you might have this
right, and that people around the world today are fighting and dying in order to
secure the rights that you were born with for themselves.
Never take these rights for granted.
Know, as
Find your own religion or philosophy of life, don't let anyone tell you
what to believe, but remember that most religions, and civil societies for that
matter, are based on one simple rule: treat others as you would like them to
treat you. As long as you begin with
this rule, and do your best to live your life by it, in my opinion, it doesn't
matter what religion you are. It is
a troubled world we live in, but I think it would be a lot less troubled if more
people would practice that one simple rule.
So try and change the world, but start by looking at yourself.
Never be overly concerned with what other people think of you though.
Be your own person. But
remember that if you get a reputation as a person of bad character, that will
stick with you. Being yourself does
not mean being a jerk. So wear your
hair and your clothes the way you like, but strive to be, and then take pride in
the fact that you are someone people know they can trust.” See,
wasn’t that some good advice? Here
are a few more quick thoughts. Enjoy
and savor life. For it is far too
short. As Mr. Hamlin said in a
speech earlier this year, “choose to be happy.”
Continue to learn and improve yourself as a human being throughout your
life. We are all works in progress.
Maintain a good sense of humor.
I’d
like thank the senior class again for this great honor.
This is one of the highlights of my career, and if I fulfill my ambition
of teaching at Trinity for many years to come, I will never forget this class.
I’d also like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Aust for their tremendous support
over the last three years for Trinity Golf, but more specifically I’d like to
thank Rich’s dad, whose name is also Rich, for giving me this cigar during one
of our matches. I told him I would
save it for a special occasion and I can’t think of one more special than
this, so I look forward to joining you in a few minutes. Now
let me follow Mr. Mauck’s advice and leave you with some of the wisdom of the
great Yankee catcher Yogi Berra
" It ain't over 'til it's over " “ Never answer an anonymous letter.” “You can observe
a lot by watching.” “The future ain’t what it used to be.” “It gets late early out here.” “If the world were perfect, it wouldn’t be” and from 1996 “If you come to a fork in the road, take it.” But of course, according to Yogi himself, “I didn’t really
say everything I said.” Congratulations and thank you again for this great honor.
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