Graduation II [Original post: May 30, 2008]

For anyone who wants it, here's my speech from graduation. I hope you like it and Class of 2008!!! WOOHOO!

Good evening graduates, teachers, administrators, family and friends. We graduates before you have been working to reach this night for 2,285 days, and in those days we have achieved so much. In the Class of 2008, we had more students to score a 30 or better on the ACT than any other class to come through Arab High School; we have thirteen honor graduates, about seven percent of the class; and everyone in our class has successfully completed the Alabama High School Graduation Exam. As you can see, our class is pretty much awesome. But joking aside, my purpose tonight is not to give you a recap of the last thirteen years of our lives. I want to give you a little insight into our futures.
As Mr. Reed passes out the day's chemistry or physics test, he tries to chase away students' fears by proclaiming, "It's fair and easy." Though few students would ever admit it, Mr. Reed's words ring with a melody of truth. While the test may seem difficult, every bit of the material was, at one point or another, covered and explained. Unfortunately, life is not fair, and life is not easy. There is no page, no chapter and no textbook to tell us what to do and what is going to be on our "test." The dishonest and deceitful may prosper while the virtuous may struggle. All too often we hear tales of the downtrodden and miserable, just trying to make it from day to day. Sadly, things may get much worse before they ever get better, unless someone steps in to make it better. Mark Twain tells us, "Always do right; this will gratify some people and astonish the rest." I believe this class will do just that.
Over the past several years of our lives, our families have been there for us in some way or another. Speaking of family, it is unique to me that we are graduating today because today is my little sister's tenth birthday, and here I am stealing her spotlight. Sorry, Brooke and happy birthday. Some may say, "There will be other birthdays, but you only graduate once!" Well, that is no excuse when it comes to family, because someday, we will be the ones on those bleachers, watching our children walk across the field, completing their thirteen year journey, realizing we helped them in every way we could. Some of us will go on to have families of our own, some of us will not, and some of us just have no idea. No matter which course we choose, though, we have to thank and appreciate what our families do for us today because we may very well be in the same position they are in tomorrow. In the words of Alexander Pope, "We think our fathers fools, so wise we grow. Our wiser sons, no doubt will think us so." We can laugh now, but one day the tables will be turned.
Important to us and second to family are our friends. They have been with us through the good, the bad and anything between the two. You know, failing a "fair and easy" test, getting dumped by your "soul mate," rolling that yard, or even just skipping, I mean missing school because you were "sick." Leaving Arab, though, we will make new friends. But we risk leaving behind the friends here completely. I transferred to Arab in the fifth grade and met my best friend Jeff the next year. Sadly, though, I lost touch with many friends in my previous school. We must not lose the friends we have now as we meet our futures. It is as the old rhyme goes:
"Make new friends, but keep the old. One is silver and the other gold."
We are leaving. Never again will we stroll those halls, with or without the all-mighty orange card, and never again will we sit in the lunchroom on Thursdays to enjoy our pizza and corn. Whether we are as far away as Boston or as close as Huntsville, we are all graduates of the Arab High School Class of 2008. We have accomplished much in a brief thirteen years, but I believe we have so much more to show you. As we begin our lives away from home and each other, we can only ask, "Who will we be, what will we do and who will be there for us?" Check back with us in ten years or so.