Baccelaureate

Faculty, clergy, parents and family members, but most of all, to the class of 2010, I am humbled and honored to have been asked to speak to you this evening. Four years have passed , in the blink of an eye. So many of you are sitting here wondering, “Where has the time gone'” It seems like yesterday that you were being dropped off, riding the bus, or walking to Paris High School for the first time. After being the “top dogs” of your respective junior high schools, you were again faced with being bottom feeders in the fish bowl. Well, here we are four years later, and while the time may have passed in the blink of an eye, history repeats itself. Those same family members that saw you off on your first day, are here to support you, on one of your last. Those “enemies from the other school” that you passed in the hallways have now morphed into lifelong friends. Many of you have expressed extreme anxiety about what awaits you as you venture in to the” real world”. High school is a bubble. You are insulated. All of this changes after Friday, especially for those of you who are continuing your education. For those entering the job market, the “real world” can be scary right now. Good paying jobs are scarce, but I hope that those of you who have to hustle to find a job will recognize that there is dignity in honest work. And so I return to the motto that many of you have heard me expound over these four years. Live Life, Clean House, Help Others. LIVING LIFE You must live your life as if every day is you last. Don’t worry about amassing a great deal of wealth, be rich in the things that matter, the love and respect of your family, colleagues, and friends. Try to leave this world a better place than you found it, and never forget that there are no prizes awarded to the richest person in a cemetery. All the money in the world is worth very little if you are not passionate about what you are doing, and if you have no one to love and no one who loves you. As Jesus told his disciples, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of Heaven.” Remember also that “the meek shall inherit the earth”. All you need to do is answer one simple question. What ignites your heart' Forgotten children' Untouched lands' The inner city' The outer limits' Heed the fire within! Nathan – Do you have a passion to sing'.Then sing! Alyx - Are you stirred to manage and be in charge' Then manage! Brittany - Do you ache for ill' Then heal them! Sarah - Do you hurt for the lost' Then teach them! Speak up and speak out about those things that matter. Remember the morals and virtues that your parents, priests, pastors, and prophets taught you. As Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. said, “Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about the things that matter”. CLEANING HOUSE To truly be successful, you must get rid of the excuses and the fears that unfortunately dominate too much of our lives. There are only two people that are in control of you, your actions, and accomplishments. The person that stares back at you in the mirror, and God Almighty! Your actions and your accomplishments are your own. You must take ownership in them. They have nothing to do with who your parents are, or how much or how little you were raised with. If you have burdens to bear, and you are afraid to ask for help, think of Jesus’ parable of the Talents : “ It is like the man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. To one he gave five talents of money, to another, two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. The man who received five talents, went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. So also , the one with two talents, gained two more. But the man who received one talent, went off, dug a hole in the ground, and hid his master’s money. “After a long time the master those servants returned and settled accounts with them. The man who received the five talents brought the other five. Master he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share my happiness! The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see I have gained two more.’ “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful in few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share in your master’s happiness! “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master, he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’ “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not gathered seed' Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned, I would have received it back with interest. Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has ten talents. For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. You must not be afraid to risk all you have, because it is easier to play it safe. Use the talents that God has given you, and he will glorify you in his name. It is the risk takers that change the world, and even though the odds and burdens you carry seem insurmountable, there is someone who will gladly carry them for you. HELPING OTHERS My grandmother used to say that at some point in our lives, each of us should have to work in a job that requires us to do physical labor, and to serve the public. Once you have done so, you will come to appreciate all those who have served you in the past, and you will see those who serve you in the future in a new light. Winston Churchill once said, “We earn a living by what we get; we make a life by what we give.” Your life will be measured not by what you do, but how well you do it. Give back to your children, your neighbors, your community, and your church. Always keep the “Golden Rule” in mind. If you want other to treat you honestly, be honest with them. If you want others to respect you, show them respect. Always try to model the behavior you hope to see in the rest of the world. Now for some practical advice. I bring you the 25 most important things you will ever need to know. 1. Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. As a sign in my room reads, “If you want a place in the sun, you better expect a few blisters. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proven by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meanderings. 2. 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. 3. Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday. 4. Do one thing every day that scares you 5. Sing like nobodies listening! 6. Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours. 7. Floss. 8. Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, the race is usually only with yourself. (Allana, I did not make that up) 9. Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how. 10. Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements. 11. Stretch – literally, get up and stretch, I’m not quite done 12. 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 18 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't. 13. Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees and joints. You'll miss them when they're gone. 14. 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 “Ice Ice Baby” on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. . 15. Enjoy your body. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own. 16. Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room. 17. Read the directions, even if you don't follow them. 18. Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly. The exception – guys, if you really want to know what women think – one word – Cosmo.. 19. 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. 20. 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. 21. Travel. 22. 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. 23. Respect your elders. 24. 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. 25. Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look like mine. During your next chapter in you will be visited with numerous blessings, as well as troubled times. During these ups and downs, it is important to remember that the power of prayer is real. Regardless of how great or small the praise or concern, God is listening. You need proof' Ask Marissa Mace about her brother Andy, or better yet, ask your classmate Matt Keys. Both of these students and their families are living testaments to God’s awesome power, and even better his ability to listen and respond. Because of the nature of this evening, and the setting in which we gather, I believe that it is also fitting that I send you off with a special prayer that I came across just a few days ago. To the parents and families assembled, thank you for sharing these remarkable young people with us for these past four years. I hope we have returned them to you a bit wiser, more worldly, more interesting, and more mature. You should be very proud of your sons and daughters. I assure you, we share in your pride. And to the class of 2010, I speak on behalf of all of the faculty and staff of PCHS when I say that is has been our privilege to share these four years with you. You have challenged us, inspired us, and taught us as well. We have great expectations for each of you, and will follow your lives and careers with interest. No matter where you go or what you do, we will always proudly claim you as our students. Please stay in touch. Good luck, and may God bless each and every one of you.