commencement manuscript by popular demand

That's right.. Sarah has made me blog public again. Crazy, eh? I have put my personal entries in another folder, and have reposted a few entires you may be interested in reading. Some may be a little out there, but just roll with it.


Change. Webster defines it as a transformation, alteration or conversion. As young adults, we change almost as rapidly as the seasons our sense of humor, likes and dislikes. We change, perhaps, even more drastically than winter to summer in a year, with little to no autumn in between for good measure.
When I was in middle school, I thought high school would be the coolest place on Earth. The kids who went to high school took real classes, like English instead of Language Arts. They studied European History, not Social Studies, and their science classes had recognizable names like Biology and Chemistry. They could drive and see R-rated movies. They got six-minute passing periods, pop machines, and all the pizza and French fries their stomach could consume. Without looking at the grand scheme of things, such as an overload of homework every night, I yearned for my conversion from being a Marnier to a Sailor.
As teenagers, and I am sure our parents will agree, we often take things for granted. Our friends, for example. We assume they will always be there, but in life, change is inevitable. Each of us has experienced the pain of separating from a close friend, whether it is from physically moving away or from mentally developing separate interests. Growing apart from friends is never easy, but as each of us follows our own paths in life, we meet many new people along the way. After tonight, some will remain life-long friends; some we will lose contact with. Never forget the lessons that we have taught each other and the support that we have provided for one another. As we leave high school behind, those people that we have become so accustomed to seeing and interacting with on a daily basis will not be there every day. To compensate for those that we are leaving behind, we will find new individuals to encourage us to grow like we have been doing since our first day of school. College will open many doors we never thought possible.
Five years ago, most of us were different from who are today. We had no idea who we were or who we wanted to be. Our minds were strictly set on that first kiss, or trying, all semester, to get that one person to dance with you at the Mariner Marina. Some of us were nerds that, perhaps, you didn't feel deserved to be recognized as a friend to you. But three or four years later, those undeserving human beings miraculously became your best friends and now, senior year, you can't even fathom a future without him or her being a part of it. Look around and acknowledge the individualism that each one of your soon former classmates holds. Appreciate it.
To be honest with you, five years ago I did not think I would be standing in this arena with you tonight. As most can recall, I was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma, cancer of the lymph nodes, in October of our 8th grade year. While everyone was fretting over the MEAP test and finding ways to get around taking notes during Channel One, I was lying in a hospital bed clinging to every ounce of life I had left in me.
Most of you are witnesses to my baldhead, pale skin and constant absence from school. I remember one low point specifically. I looked at my mom and mumbled the
words "Make it stop." She held back the tears as the chemicals poured into my veins. Boy, did life's priorities hit me like a pile of bricks. Once I came to, I made the decision to never say those three words ever again. I was going to fight harder than David and Goliath and make it to my graduation day. Hey mom... look, I did it!!
What I am trying to get at is this: we are all blind to the future, and only by fighting for our goals and aspirations will life become more apparent.
As we, the graduating class of 2007, sit here watching as the last of our high school careers fade into the twilight, nervously awaiting what new adventure tomorrow will bring, it is important that we share a moment of reflection: Years of books we all claimed to dread, but found ourselves quoting in our MySpaces; dances that cost way too much money, but were attended anyway; and sporting events like the winning basket made to take the district title, hockey playoffs and football games' student section, along with one Marching Band state victory. They have all led to this gratifying moment.
Tonight's graduation marks the end of an era. It is not only our passage from the crowded underclassmen halls of Mona Shores High School, but it is also a declaration of our commitment, drive, and effort.
Contrary to popular belief, the last four years have not been one cool experience after another, and the pizza and French fries, well, they went down hill after week one. Walking through the maze of halls on the first day of freshman year was a nightmare. Some of us barely survived the sophomore year slump. Junior year was a circus act trying to balance a job and schoolwork. Senioritis struck many of us this September, although the epidemic has certainly worsened immensely in the past few months.
With the support of our parents, our teachers, and our friends, we made it to this day and to the beginning of a new stage of our lives. Where we go from here and what new frontiers we are meant to discover may remain unseen. As we step out those doors tonight and stare into the first light of what is to come and what is to be, always remember tonights victory. For no matter what tomorrow brings, be it the simplest direct path, or a road wrought with twists and turns, tonight we share an achievement.
We are the businessmen and women, the teachers and the parents of tomorrow. By our own dedication to our success at Mona Shores' High School having qualified us to lead the future, tonight we rise above and shed the labels of the nerd, sports fan, and word-smith (writer). For tonight's graduation is the culmination of our commitment, as we smile await the satisfaction of diplomas in our hands.
While at times it may have been easy to be drawn into the negative aspects of school, and cringe when we heard the word "homework" or "essay", we have chosen to pursue and to accomplish. I hope as you walk onto this wooden stage in front of all of your peers and you hold your head proudly, as you become alum. We are all well worthy of pride. No matter where tomorrow takes you, always remember to pack the memories, the knowledge and the self-satisfaction. Congratulations, everyone. We did it!