Commencing advice

No one asked me to speak at any graduation ceremonies this month. I'm not surprised, however. A few years back, I spoke to an honors assembly for gifted students. I suspect the administration was uncomfortable with my message that evening. My message had to do with trust. Always putting trust in positions of power, I told those assembled, was not always a good idea.

Had I been asked to speak to graduates this month, I suspect I would have told them the following:

Dear graduates, parents, grandparents and assembled guests:

Tonight is both a beginning and an end. Some of you will continue your education while others will never darken the hidden corners of a classroom again. Many of you will head into the future fully prepared. Many of you have peaked and your best years are officially behind you. Look around the decide into which category you will fall.

For years, graduates have been told repeatedly that the world is theirs for the taking. Not true! The cruel reality is that your parents' financial status is probably the single greatest factor in your future success. Your grit and determination will only get you so far. I wish that were not the case, but I don't make the rules.

You've probably heard that each generation works tirelessly to improve their lot in life and, thereby, hand a better world to the following generation. This worked for much of our history, but I'm not still sure that's the case. Unfortunately, you may soon inherit a world that has more problems than solutions. But what the heck, it's a little late to cry over spilled milk.

The one promise I can give graduates is that your character, your personal responsibility and your determination will get you much further in life than good grades. That doesn't mean you should not take pride in past classroom accomplishments nor future achievements. But believe me, future employers probably aren't real concerned about your classroom achievements in sophomore algebra. But don't tell your teachers I said so.

And now that you are on the threshold of graduation, you need to understand something about your government. Not the stuff you learned in your textbooks. The real world.

For some of you, your government will be your lifeline. It will feed you, house you, pay for your medical needs and more. And for those to whom the preceding does not apply, you'll be paying the bills for that government assistance. Don't complain if that seems unfair. Just get used to it.

And if you think that diploma is your ticket to success, think again. It's just a ticket to the next station. But it's an extremely important ticket. Without it, you can wave as the bus of life passes you by. With it, you at least have a ride to the next station.

Be proud of your accomplishments. Far too many of those who started this journey with you are not here on this special day. For whatever reason, they fell by the wayside. That's sad because of the obvious lost potential. But it's also sad because someone, somewhere is going to have to provide for those fellow travelers. More likely than not, it will be you.

Because of achievements in health care and technology, the world ahead has remarkable potential. It is up to you to harness that potential and push it even further. By reaching this point in your life, you've shown you have what it takes.

Enjoy life, laugh often and respect your fellow man. By now you should have learned this. We hope so because your next lesson is about to begin.

Michael Jensen is a Southeast Missourian columnist and publisher of the Standard Democrat in Sikeston, Mo.