Graduation Remarks

 

As we gather to celebrate you today, please know that I recognize the simple fact that I am the only one standing between you, the ringing of the Victory Bell,  and your newfound status as a Graduate of Palmer Trinity School. I promise to be brief, and I say “thank you” for this opportunity.

Earlier this morning, each of you received a beautiful, personalized Compass...A small token of appreciation...A gift, hopefully, to remind you...Maybe inspire you. A simple, yet powerful device to help keep you heading in the right direction.

Historians believe that the earliest forms of compasses go back nearly 2,000 years...Magnetic compasses used for navigation may have appeared first in China, as early as the 11th and 12th centuries...Over time, various forms of compasses have appeared, and, as we all know too well today, GPS has taken over much of our daily lives in terms of planning our various itineraries. Maps have become relics---often valued for their artistic merits, and not necessarily relied upon for use. The compass you carry today, however, is a valuable tool. It is a working, navigational instrument, and whether you choose to use it or not, maybe, just maybe, its sheer symbolic power may be of help. 

Years ago I ran across a well-told story---one I have shared before--- of the legendary Scientist and thinker, Albert Einstein. 

Einstein was once traveling from Princeton on a train when the conductor came down the aisle, punching the tickets of every passenger. When he came to Einstein, Einstein reached in his vest pocket. He  couldn't find his ticket, so he reached in his trouser pockets.

It wasn't there, so he looked in his briefcase but couldn't find it. Then he looked in the seat beside him. He still couldn't find it.  The conductor said, 'Dr. Einstein, I know who you are.  We all know who you are. I'm sure you bought a ticket. Don't worry about it.' Einstein nodded appreciatively.  The conductor continued down the aisle punching tickets. As he was ready to move to the next car, he turned around and saw the great physicist down on his hands and knees looking under his seat for his ticket.  The conductor rushed back and said, 'Dr. Einstein, Dr. Einstein, don't worry, I know who you are. No problem. You don't need a ticket. I'm sure you bought one.'

Einstein looked at him and said, 'Young man, I too, know who I am.  What I don't know is where I'm going.'

 

Where are you going?

Today, at least, you’re going to leave us...Your Palmer Trinity Family. Today, you head off into the “great unknown”...Or, at least, the “next step” on your educational journey...College, study abroad, summer travels...Who knows? 

Wherever you are headed, however, will be a new experience for you...Remember, as the famous American opera singer, Beverly Sills, reminds us, 

Whatever your adventure, whatever your plan may be, I hope you’ll commit yourself fully. Jump in! Soak in the journey! Make things happen. Have some fun. 

And, learn as you go along...With that theme in mind---one of traveling in the “right direction”, I offer a few observations for you today. Let’s get started...

Pay attention.

Look around you...Pause, take “stock” of your surroundings...Don’t venture without checking your bearings.

Consider the gentleman who followed his GPS and its commands, drove his car blindly, leading him into a park in Manhattan, NY, and promptly ended up, stuck, on a staircase!

Or, the elderly Belgian woman who turned a 90-mile drive to Brussels into a day-long journey into Germany and beyond...Trusting that GPS to steer her in the right direction, she patiently followed the instructions until she noticed the street signs were in Croatian!

Yes---stories like these are all too familiar, and I am guessing that a few of us are guilty, as well. Oftentimes, we rely too much on our technology, with our noses “stuck” to the screen, or simply let that machine “do the thinking” completely for us…

Stop, take a moment, and, please make sure you have a good sense of the world around you…

Remember, also, to:

Trust your instincts.

Your “gut” will tell you when things may be awry, or when to pay special notice…

That “little voice” inside will steer you properly if you listen to it...You’ve honed it over these many years, and certainly here at School we have emphasized the importance of Honor, of Integrity, of making ethical choices…

Through “trial and error”, you’ve come to know just how important it is, I hope, to rely upon that “little voice”: your Conscience...Remember, as noted author Ralph Waldo Emerson shares,

 
What lies behind us, and What lies before us, are tiny matters compared to what lies within us.

Another legendary sage---our own Mr. Chapman---has pleaded with you over these years to Choose What’s Right...He’s given you wonderful advice there, and I concur wholeheartedly.

Let your Instinct---that sense of Right and Wrong---be your Compass…

Trust it...Nurture it... Listen to it.

Don’t forget, on your journey, that you’ll need to:

 

Ask for Help.

You won’t have all the answers, and you’re not expected to…There will be moments of doubt, and times when you just don’t know which way to turn...That’s okay. Be willing to seek assistance, if need be. Consider this simple story I ran across when writing this very speech a few weeks ago:

A father watched his son try to lift a heavy stone. He failed with each attempt. After some time his father came by and asked, “Are you using all your strength?” “Yes!” the boy cried. His father looked at him and said, “No, you are not, I am here waiting and you haven’t asked for my help.”

Ask for help. 

Do NOT be afraid to let someone else be of aid to you. It takes humility---and courage---to ask for help...Such simple, yet important advice. Do it, and you’ll be glad you did!

Choose to be Positive.

The noteworthy President---”Honest Abe” Lincoln once claimed that: 

Most people are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.

Take that positive attitude of yours, and remind yourself that, as you well know by now, life isn’t always fair. Things won’t always go your way. It is up to you how you will go about your daily work. It is up to you just what your attitude will be. You will not always succeed. You won’t always find yourself in the “Winners Circle”. 

As we all know, it’s how we respond to defeat that truly defines us; that is, how we rise after falling---how we “get up and go”, taking the first step forward and ultimately seizing the opportunity that lies before us…In taking that “first step”, you’ll need to be flexible, ready for taking on the unknown…

Noted thinker, and author, the late Stephen Hawking tells us that: 

Intelligence is the ability to adapt to change.

If that is the case, then I would argue that your success will depend largely upon your outlook---that ability to be positive; to be “cautiously optimistic”. 

Don’t underestimate yourself, and don’t overestimate your situation...Visualize your success...See the positive results of what can occur, if only you choose the right attitude.

Finally, and, maybe most importantly, 

-

Be Grateful.

Gratitude is critical for happiness. And, if you don’t believe me, consider the plethora of scientists and researchers who share the same sentiment, and back it up with data. In fact, recent studies show that thankful people---people who practice gratitude---report less aches and pains, improved sleep quality, greater alertness, and exhibit less hostile and more outgoing and compassionate behavior. 

Robert Frank, in his book, Success and Good Fortune and the Myth of Meritocracy, notes that 

Gratitude is a currency we can spend freely without fear of bankruptcy.

Yes, it “pays” to be thankful...To be truly grateful...And in that same spirit of gratitude, I say “Thank You”.

For, 

You have established yourselves, as leaders in the Classroom, and you have set the bar high, for all to follow.

You have used your time well here, contributing beyond that Classroom.

Your Positive Spirit and your Genuine Commitment to the Ideals of our School are of the highest order, and our entire community owes you a great debt of thanks for leading us so capably. 

I say “thank you” for setting the tone and being such effective leaders and influences for our School. You have been good mentors, role models, and Spirit Guides for our younger students.

You have “jumped in” and spoken out respectfully and powerfully, supporting causes to help others and our greater Community.

You have helped lead our artistic efforts, sharing your creative talents for all to enjoy, and you have done so enthusiastically and generously, mentoring our younger musicians, thespians, and artists so capably.

You have competed at the highest level, with the most noble ideals, and, most importantly, with true sportsmanship on display.

And, perhaps, most significantly, you have accrued 16, 577 hours of volunteer service as a Class, living our Mission so well and so visibly.

You have Led with Love, and the ripple effect of such beautiful and thoughtful acts cannot be measured.

In short, you have served faithfully as a Palmer Trinity Student, and all that such a privilege and responsibility required.

 

And so, Class of 2021, as you take this next step, I hope you’ll remember these few pieces of advice...There is no “road map” here…

Carry that trustworthy Compass with you, and while this may be the conclusion to your “official” time at Palmer Trinity, you have so many more adventures ahead, and you are ready!

 

Finally, in the good Episcopal tradition, I’d like to leave you with one of my favorite Prayers---a short and simple Irish Blessing:

 

God,

Keep my anger from becoming meanness.

Keep my sorrow from collapsing into self-pity.

Keep my heart soft enough to keep breaking.

Keep my anger turned towards justice, not cruelty.

Remind me that all of this, every bit of it, is for love.

Keep me fiercely kind.

Amen.

Remember, too, as you, go forth today, with diplomas in hand:

Know that you are loved.

Know that you are supported.

Know that we are always cheering for you.

Know that you will be missed.

Know that we are waiting, and hoping you will return in due time to share your stories with us…

And, 

Always remember,

You may leave Palmer Trinity, but Palmer Trinity will never leave you.