"Ladies
and gentlemen of the class of 2002...
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
nevermind; you will not understand the power and
beauty of your youth until they have 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're 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 bubblegum. The real
troubles in your life are apt to be things that never
crossed your worried mind; the kind that blindside
you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday 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 the 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 know
still don't.
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.what ever 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 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
own 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 are the best link to
your past and the people most likely to stick with
you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for 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 you knew 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'll
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
it's 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..."
