After that yawn fest, he’d set the bar really low for me, so there was a silver lining.
“And now, I want to welcome to the stage an extraordinary young man, your valedictorian, David Dawson,” Principal Borman announced.
I strode out across the stage, thanked the principal, shook his hand, and took the podium. I smiled at everyone as they applauded. While I waited for the clapping to subside, I spotted my family in the stands. Then I noticed the TV cameras in the back, filming. That cut my list of topics a bit. When I said I would wing my speech, I really hadn’t meant it. But I’d never put it all down on paper, so here went nothing.
“I had a speech prepared but forgot to bring it. I hope that’s okay with everyone,” I said, which generated a few chuckles.
Mr. Palm looked like he might become ill. His plan for controlling every little detail of today’s festivities had just flown out the window.
“The original speech talked about how we are on the cusp of the rest of our lives, ready to face the world, and blah, blah, blah.”
Mr. Palm stood up. To do what, I wasn’t sure, but I needed to move this along.
“All right, let’s all be real here. We all know that graduation is a rite of passage of sorts. Different cultures commemorate their children becoming adults in different ways. We don’t really have anything official like some others have, so this is probably the closest thing. Soon, many of you will be off to college, while others will move into your parents’ basement to haunt them for the next twenty years,” I said. I paused when that brought a good-natured laugh.
One of the dads shouted out that that would happen over his dead body.
“As I listened to our keynote speaker, I was reminded of a cheesy poster I once saw. It said, ‘You are where you are because of the decisions you’ve made. The choice has always been yours to make. Either choose to be great or choose to be a waste.’ It may be cheesy, but it contains an element of truth. When you walk out these doors for the last time, how your life turns out will be determined by your choices,” I said, warming to my topic.
“Right before I entered high school, I got myself into a spot of trouble. Because of that, I was shipped to my uncle’s farm for the summer to be free child labor. After the first few days, I was exhausted, and every muscle in my body ached. It was so bad that even my teeth hurt. He worked me so hard that I was no longer able to think straight. More importantly, he did it so that I would quit focusing on how none of what was happening in my life was my fault.
“That was when my uncle launched his diabolical plan that ended up changing my life. He made me take a serious look at who I was, which I quickly figured out showed I wasn’t who I wanted to be. With that realization, he helped me discover who I wanted to become and gave me the tools to achieve it via life goals.
“My uncle also taught me some important truths. The biggest one was that I was responsible for my own destiny. Along the way, I learned a phrase that has stuck with me: ‘If it is to be, it is up to me,’” I said.
Then I paused to make sure I was getting through to my classmates.
I looked up because started to become emotional and had to blink back a tear of gratitude for what that man had done for me. None of what I’d been able to accomplish would’ve been possible without him kicking my butt and putting me on the path I now traveled.
I took a moment to glance over the crowd, and everyone seemed riveted by my words. I became contemplative.
“Strange, the stuff you remember. The people, the places. The moments in time that are crystal clear, and you’ll never forget, while other memories fade into oblivion. I’m sure we can all agree that I’ve lived a life different from others. Before my trip to my uncle’s farm, I saw no path before me. I simply took step after step that never seemed to be forward. It was as if I was spinning my wheels as I simply marked time.
“I’m sure many of you have felt that way. We just get by to survive another day, week, year, a lifetime. One day, you’ll turn around and realize that each step you’d taken was a choice, like that cheesy poster said. To go left, to go right. To go forward, backward, or to simply stand still.
“Every day, you have a choice between right and wrong. Between love and hate. Unfortunately, sometimes between life and death. At some point, those choices become your life. The day you realize that will be the day you take control of your life and become an adult,” I said.
Then I decided to try to explain my point differently.
“Some people say that everything happens for a reason. As a churchgoer, I hear it as ‘It’s God’s will.’ Not that I don’t think we all have a destiny to fulfill.
“What I want you to do is think about it for a moment. If that were true, then all your efforts would simply make you slaves to some cosmically predetermined set outcome. It would be as if we have no say in the matter. Or that we might or might not be capable of getting what we desire, because it is all left up to some higher power.
“If you want a life of purpose, one where you’re in charge, begin by reversing your notion that everything happens for a reason. We all have free will—or, at least, life and the world work better if we act as if we have free will. Because if you don’t actively make choices, you’re just a leaf floating on a stream.
“So, instead of ‘leaving it to God’ or the fates, redefine your thinking about the future. Not as some eventual explanation of some future terrible tragedy or glorious achievement. But instead as validation of the thoughtful choices that will lead you to what you wanted to have happen. Assert authority over chance, fate, and destiny. Everything does happen for a reason, and the reason is you, through your actions … or inactions.
“To attain success, we must make the hard choices. We must do the unpleasant things, risk our most valuable assets, and do away with the shackles designed to limit us. Above all, we can’t get sucked into listening to others who think they know what’s best for us. Realize that they have their own personal agendas, and in the end, that each of us has to decide what’s best for ourselves.
“Remember that nothing worthwhile is ever achieved without sacrifice. True greatness only comes to those willing to pursue it at any cost. Once you have that mindset, nothing will stop you,” I shared and paused once again.
“As you leave here today, I see a bright future for each and every one of you. Stride forth with confidence. Seize the opportunities that are presented to you. And remember to have fun while doing it,” I said, breaking my word about the uplifting ‘go forward and conquer the world’ BS noted in all these kinds of speeches.
I paused one last time and smiled at everyone.
“I want to leave you with one last thought. We’ve built something here at Lincoln High. I personally want to see what we’ve achieved become an inspiration and set the standard for years to come so that we leave a legacy here. With that in mind, I want to share with you my feelings about this high school,” I said.
I saw Cassidy roll her eyes at me, but I plowed forward.
“Home. It’s more than just a word. It’s your story, it’s your family, it’s the place where it all began. Home is where we grew up. It’s a walk downtown. It’s firing up the grill for a barbecue before a game.
“For us, it’s continuing the tradition of winning, of striving for excellence, of being the best we can possibly be. No matter how many times your address changes, or wherever you may go, Lincoln High will always be your home, and all roads lead back home.
“Go Lincoln High! Go Bulldogs! This is our house! This is our home!” I shouted as my classmates stood and cheered.
“Now, let’s go party!”
We forgot about the solemn exit parade that had been planned as I jumped off the stage and led my classmates out of the building. We said our goodbyes, reminisced about some fond memories, and took more than a few pictures. It really was official now. I’d graduated from high school.