Indeed, you may already have discovered that
everything in life is only as reliable as the experience on which it is based,
and that observation was the origin of a June 1997 newspaper column by Mary
Schmich of the Chicago Tribune, in
which she compiled a "Guide to Life for Graduates."
Many
of you have heard it, I am sure, since it was recorded two years later and
aired by many radio stations.
For those of you who are not familiar with the
column, it is worth listening to. For
those of you who are already familiar with the column, it is worth
repeating. So, with one minor revision
to reflect the current year, here it goes:
"...Ladies and Gentlemen of the Class of (2008): 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, whereas 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. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty
of your youth until they've faded. But
trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a
way you can't grasp now how much possibility 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 as
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 blindsided you at 4
p.m. on some idle Tuesday."
"Do one thing every day 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." (And, parenthetically, if you really want to
know, I am still wondering what the future may hold for me when I grow up!)
"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 of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever
own."
"Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but in
your 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 a
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 who knew you 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."
Your education at The University
of Akron has gotten you started. Life's
experiences will take care of the rest.
_________
Mary
Schmich, "Advice, Like Youth, Probably Just Wasted On the Young," Chicago
Tribune, June 1, 1997, Titled based on the 1999 song by Baz Luhrmann,
"Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)," lyrics taken from Chicago Tribune column