Given by John Carey, mathematics teacher at Thurston High School
Welcome to all who have come to celebrate the achievement of those seated here today. I am truly honored to be part of this celebration. As I scan the audience, I see a great deal of grace. Grace is the only thing that explains how many of these kids have made it to this day. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your children lives.
Today is a special day. It is special because there will never be another day exactly like it. Today is the day to which all your preceding days have been leading up to, and today is the day from which the rest of your life will flow. If you were aware of how precious the day is, you certainly would not waste it, nor would you be able to restrain your joy and gratitude. Every day is a good day.
G.K. Chesterton wrote “Here dies another day during which I have had eyes, ears, and hands, and the great world around me; and with tomorrow begins another”.
It was 29 years ago, that I sat where you graduates are sitting today. I was getting ready to leave home and attend the United States Air Force Academy. My dream was to fly jets. At that point, if you had said I would end up a teacher, I would have responded with “ there is no way I would ever be a teacher”. I never did fly fighter jets. I did start a family, became an engineer and eventually ended up here, a high school math teacher. Plans will change throughout your life too, adapt and embrace them, or you will not experience the blessings that await you.
Now, I would like to speak a little about the options that are in front of you.
For those of you headed off to college: It will be far more demanding than high school. The day you are in a lecture and don’t understand something, seek out the instructor or someone in class that is a better student than you, get to know them. Many start and quit soon after because they can’t handle the rigor; getting knocked down is part of life --- get back up. When your friends are partying, go to the library and study. Going to college is an opportunity.
For those of you headed out into the workforce: Get up, be on time; being late will get you fired. 20 hours a week is not enough; get a second job, maybe a third job. If you want to move up the ladder you will need to be better at your job than the individual next to you. If your work ethic and quality of work has merit, don’t be afraid to ask for a raise. The job you have is a job. You may not like your boss, pay, coworkers, or the hours you have to work, your best is still required. Don’t quit a job unless you have been offered another job, finding a job when you are unemployed is much more difficult. A job is an opportunity.
For those of you headed off to the US Military: Serving your country is noble. You will very quickly find out what you and others are made of. The uniform you wear means something. Many have served and made the ultimate sacrifice to be a part of something greater than themselves. Freedom is not free and being in the service comes with immense responsibility. What is asked of you someday may be more than others are willing to give, and you may return to less than open arms. Be proud you served your country, protecting the rights and freedoms of others. Serving in the Military is an opportunity.
For those of you ready to get married: The words ” I DO”, and “For Better or for Worse”, mean something. Marriage can be difficult at times; there will be many peaks and valleys. You will make mistakes; you need to admit them. Swallow your pride, ask for forgiveness and be willing to forgive. Remember the grass is not greener on the other side. Starting a family is an opportunity.
For those of you, who after 3 months have made no plans and are doing nothing, shame on you. The opportunities in this country are endless. Get off your rear end and do something productive with your life.
A few ideas to help guide you.
Free Will and Conscience. Most decisions in your life to this point have been made as a partnership. As you move on in life your freedom grows rapidly and those that once surrounded you and helped you make choices are not around. This is where your conscience comes in. You all have one, listen to it. Your conscience will not lead you astray, listen and it will guide you to do the right thing. You must now take responsibility for your actions; that is what it means to be an adult.
Sacrifice. To move through life you will need to sacrifice, whether it be time, activities, or yourself. What are you willing to give up for someone or something? The law of sacrifice says that you cannot get something you want, without giving up something in return.
Practice and Pushing oneself. Whoever has tried to convince you that doing something every other day is a good thing, is wrong. If you set a goal of wanting to get better or be the best at something, you will need to work at it daily and surround yourselves by people better than you.
Failure and Perseverance. Have you ever seen a child learn to ride a bike, or a toddler learn to walk? They stumble and fall many times before getting it right. Mistakes are learning opportunities. It sometimes takes failure after failure to create success. Believe you can, and you are halfway there. And never regret anything; because every detail of your life, including your mistakes, is what made you who you are today.
Attitude. I would like to quote Charles Swindoll: "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
This leads me to the last thing I would like to share, a story.
Alexander Papaderous was born on the island of Crete. During the Second World War Alexander’s hometown, Lividas, was destroyed by the Nazis and Alexander, still a child, was interned in a concentration camp.
After the war he was determined to be a force for peace and forgiveness. He studied theology in the Orthodox Church and in 1965 opened an institute designed to promote peace and reconciliation. He located it at Maleme, the site where German paratroopers landed and one of the wars worst atrocities was unleashed. The paratroopers met resistance from islanders bearing nothing other than kitchen knives and hay scythes. The consequences of resistance were devastating. The residents of entire villages were lined up and shot.
One day while taking questions at the end of a lecture Mr. Papaderous was asked, “What’s the meaning of life?” There was nervous laughter in the room. It is such a big question. But Mr. Papaderous answered it.
He opened his wallet, took out a small, round mirror and held it up for everyone to see. During the war he was just a small boy from a very poor family when he came across a motorcycle wreck. The motorcycle had belonged to German soldiers. Alexander saw pieces of broken mirrors from the motorcycle lying on the ground. He tried to put them together but couldn’t, so he took the largest piece and scratched it against a stone until its edges were smoothed and it was round. He used it as a toy, fascinated by the way he could use it to shine light into holes and crevices.
He kept that mirror with him as he grew up, and over time it came to symbolize something very important. He came to understand that he is not the light or the source of light.
In response to the question, what is the meaning of life? Alexander Papaderous responded;
‘“I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world–into the black places in the hearts of men–and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life.”
I challenge you - Smooth the edges of your fragment of a mirror and shine light on others. You have no idea whose life you will touch.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for sharing your children with us, hopefully we have not messed them up too badly, and maybe even helped prepare them to go out into the world and make something more of themselves.
I love you sweet kids! Don’t let the opportunities out there pass you by!
Oh ya, I almost forgot, how about a math joke?
What did the acorn say when he was all grown up? Geometry - Gee-im-e-tree
I don’t care who you are that ‘s funny.
John Carey
Thurston High School 2015
Welcome to all who have come to celebrate the achievement of those seated here today. I am truly honored to be part of this celebration. As I scan the audience, I see a great deal of grace. Grace is the only thing that explains how many of these kids have made it to this day. Thank you for the opportunity to be a part of your children lives.
Today is a special day. It is special because there will never be another day exactly like it. Today is the day to which all your preceding days have been leading up to, and today is the day from which the rest of your life will flow. If you were aware of how precious the day is, you certainly would not waste it, nor would you be able to restrain your joy and gratitude. Every day is a good day.
G.K. Chesterton wrote “Here dies another day during which I have had eyes, ears, and hands, and the great world around me; and with tomorrow begins another”.
It was 29 years ago, that I sat where you graduates are sitting today. I was getting ready to leave home and attend the United States Air Force Academy. My dream was to fly jets. At that point, if you had said I would end up a teacher, I would have responded with “ there is no way I would ever be a teacher”. I never did fly fighter jets. I did start a family, became an engineer and eventually ended up here, a high school math teacher. Plans will change throughout your life too, adapt and embrace them, or you will not experience the blessings that await you.
Now, I would like to speak a little about the options that are in front of you.
For those of you headed off to college: It will be far more demanding than high school. The day you are in a lecture and don’t understand something, seek out the instructor or someone in class that is a better student than you, get to know them. Many start and quit soon after because they can’t handle the rigor; getting knocked down is part of life --- get back up. When your friends are partying, go to the library and study. Going to college is an opportunity.
For those of you headed out into the workforce: Get up, be on time; being late will get you fired. 20 hours a week is not enough; get a second job, maybe a third job. If you want to move up the ladder you will need to be better at your job than the individual next to you. If your work ethic and quality of work has merit, don’t be afraid to ask for a raise. The job you have is a job. You may not like your boss, pay, coworkers, or the hours you have to work, your best is still required. Don’t quit a job unless you have been offered another job, finding a job when you are unemployed is much more difficult. A job is an opportunity.
For those of you headed off to the US Military: Serving your country is noble. You will very quickly find out what you and others are made of. The uniform you wear means something. Many have served and made the ultimate sacrifice to be a part of something greater than themselves. Freedom is not free and being in the service comes with immense responsibility. What is asked of you someday may be more than others are willing to give, and you may return to less than open arms. Be proud you served your country, protecting the rights and freedoms of others. Serving in the Military is an opportunity.
For those of you ready to get married: The words ” I DO”, and “For Better or for Worse”, mean something. Marriage can be difficult at times; there will be many peaks and valleys. You will make mistakes; you need to admit them. Swallow your pride, ask for forgiveness and be willing to forgive. Remember the grass is not greener on the other side. Starting a family is an opportunity.
For those of you, who after 3 months have made no plans and are doing nothing, shame on you. The opportunities in this country are endless. Get off your rear end and do something productive with your life.
A few ideas to help guide you.
Free Will and Conscience. Most decisions in your life to this point have been made as a partnership. As you move on in life your freedom grows rapidly and those that once surrounded you and helped you make choices are not around. This is where your conscience comes in. You all have one, listen to it. Your conscience will not lead you astray, listen and it will guide you to do the right thing. You must now take responsibility for your actions; that is what it means to be an adult.
Sacrifice. To move through life you will need to sacrifice, whether it be time, activities, or yourself. What are you willing to give up for someone or something? The law of sacrifice says that you cannot get something you want, without giving up something in return.
Practice and Pushing oneself. Whoever has tried to convince you that doing something every other day is a good thing, is wrong. If you set a goal of wanting to get better or be the best at something, you will need to work at it daily and surround yourselves by people better than you.
Failure and Perseverance. Have you ever seen a child learn to ride a bike, or a toddler learn to walk? They stumble and fall many times before getting it right. Mistakes are learning opportunities. It sometimes takes failure after failure to create success. Believe you can, and you are halfway there. And never regret anything; because every detail of your life, including your mistakes, is what made you who you are today.
Attitude. I would like to quote Charles Swindoll: "The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, than education, than money, than circumstances, than failures, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness, or skill. It will make or break a company ... a church ... a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice every day regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude ... I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me, and 90% how I react to it. And so it is with you ... we are in charge of our Attitudes.”
This leads me to the last thing I would like to share, a story.
Alexander Papaderous was born on the island of Crete. During the Second World War Alexander’s hometown, Lividas, was destroyed by the Nazis and Alexander, still a child, was interned in a concentration camp.
After the war he was determined to be a force for peace and forgiveness. He studied theology in the Orthodox Church and in 1965 opened an institute designed to promote peace and reconciliation. He located it at Maleme, the site where German paratroopers landed and one of the wars worst atrocities was unleashed. The paratroopers met resistance from islanders bearing nothing other than kitchen knives and hay scythes. The consequences of resistance were devastating. The residents of entire villages were lined up and shot.
One day while taking questions at the end of a lecture Mr. Papaderous was asked, “What’s the meaning of life?” There was nervous laughter in the room. It is such a big question. But Mr. Papaderous answered it.
He opened his wallet, took out a small, round mirror and held it up for everyone to see. During the war he was just a small boy from a very poor family when he came across a motorcycle wreck. The motorcycle had belonged to German soldiers. Alexander saw pieces of broken mirrors from the motorcycle lying on the ground. He tried to put them together but couldn’t, so he took the largest piece and scratched it against a stone until its edges were smoothed and it was round. He used it as a toy, fascinated by the way he could use it to shine light into holes and crevices.
He kept that mirror with him as he grew up, and over time it came to symbolize something very important. He came to understand that he is not the light or the source of light.
In response to the question, what is the meaning of life? Alexander Papaderous responded;
‘“I am a fragment of a mirror whose whole design and shape I do not know. Nevertheless, with what I have I can reflect light into the dark places of this world–into the black places in the hearts of men–and change some things in some people. Perhaps others may see and do likewise. This is what I am about. This is the meaning of my life.”
I challenge you - Smooth the edges of your fragment of a mirror and shine light on others. You have no idea whose life you will touch.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for sharing your children with us, hopefully we have not messed them up too badly, and maybe even helped prepare them to go out into the world and make something more of themselves.
I love you sweet kids! Don’t let the opportunities out there pass you by!
Oh ya, I almost forgot, how about a math joke?
What did the acorn say when he was all grown up? Geometry - Gee-im-e-tree
I don’t care who you are that ‘s funny.
John Carey
Thurston High School 2015