A Lighter View
Pompous circumstances
By K.E.H. Stagg

June 4, 2009

In schools all across the country this month, speeches will be given to motivate, challenge and propel today’s youth to make their marks on the future as scions of industry, curers of cancer or achieve some other noble, lofty goal.

That’s all well and good, but what about the other 95 percent of the graduating classes? What are they supposed to do? Speeches about pie-in-the-sky accomplishments have their place, but let’s face it: most of us are never going to win the Nobel Prize in any category; we’re not going to make Dillsburg a world-famous tourist spot because it marks our birthplace. No, most of us live the lives of ordinary citizens who work hard, save money and hope to afford homes an nth of a degree nicer than we grew up in.

Back in the Dark Ages when I graduated from high school and college, popular graduation speeches urged seniors to conquer the world, find cures for major diseases or achieve fame and fortune as scions in a major industry. It’s been a while since I’ve sat through those sorts of addresses, but it seems to me that instead of listening to an exhortation to conquer the world, NHS’s graduating class of 2009 might be better served by listening to a speech on fiscal responsibility and the wisdom of remaining debt-free.

Instead of urging this year’s seniors to leap tall buildings in a single bound, why not encourage them to remain physically active in order to enjoy longer, more productive lives? Instead of filling their heads with delusions of grandeur, why not bolster renewed confidence in their abilities to be decent, law-abiding citizens who maintain a world in which their children and grandchildren can safely exist?

There are other achievements it would be great in future years to look back and attribute to this year’s graduating class. They might value quality over quantity, and improve everything from customer service to consumer goods. They might actually farm—till the soil to produce crops, or raise dairy cattle. Or what if the entire NHS Class of 2009 managed to keep their families intact? What an amazing feat that would be! I can’t think of a single, solitary family who hasn’t been touched by some sort of schism.

A meteor that blazes across the sky and burns out quickly is certainly eye-catching, but frankly I’d just as soon have the steady light of a dependable star. That’s the kind of speech I hope somebody gives this year’s graduating class because that’s the kind of people we need, not just in Dillsburg, but everywhere!