Congratulations!

Today is your day.
You’re off to Great Places!
You’re off and away!

You have brains in your head.
You have feet in your shoes.
You can steer yourself any direction you choose.
You’re on your own. And you know what you know. And YOU are the guy who’ll decide where to go.

You’ll look up and down streets. Look’em over with care. About some you will say, “I don’t choose to go there.” With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you’re too smart to go down a not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you’ll want to go down. In that case, of course, you’ll head straight out of town. It’s opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don’t worry. Don’t stew. Just go right along. You’ll start happening too.

Oh! The Places You’ll Go!

You’ll be on your way up!
You’ll be seeing great sights!
You’ll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won’t lag behind, because you’ll have the speed. You’ll pass the whole gang and you’ll soon take the lead. Wherever you fly, you’ll be best of the best. Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don’t.
Because, sometimes, you won’t.

I’m sorry to say so but, sadly, it’s true that Bang-ups and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch. And your gang will fly on. You’ll be left in a Lurch.

You’ll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump. And the chances are, then, that you’ll be in a Slump.

And when you’re in a Slump, you’re not in for much fun. Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked. Some windows are lighted. But mostly they’re darked. A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin! Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in? How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And if you go in, should you turn left or right…or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind? Simple it’s not, I’m afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you’ll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place…for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or No or waiting for their hair to grow. Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance. Everyone is just waiting.

No! That’s not for you!
Somehow you’ll escape all that waiting and staying. You’ll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing. With banner flip-flapping, once more you’ll ride high! Ready for anything under the sky. Ready because you’re that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won. And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all. Fame! You’ll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don’t. Because, sometimes, they won’t.

I’m afraid that some times you’ll play lonely games too. Games you can’t win ‘cause you’ll play against you.

All Alone!
Whether you like it or not, Alone will be something you’ll be quite a lot.

And when you’re alone, there’s a very good chance you’ll meet things that scare you right out of your pants. There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won’t want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul. On you will go though your enemies prowl. On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl. Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak. On and on you will hike. And I know you’ll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are.

You’ll get mixed up, of course, as you already know. You’ll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go. So be sure when you step. Step with care and great tact and remember that Life’s a Great Balancing Act. Just never forget to be dexterous and deft. And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?
Yes! You will, indeed!
(98 and ¾ percent guaranteed.)

Kid, you’ll move mountains!
So…be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ale Van Allen O’Shea, you’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting.
So…get on your way!

-Dr Suess

Yes, it is cliche to use this poem. But that doesn’t change the truly beautiful message it gives. Today is all about us, the Class of 2011. We did something great here, and we’re going to keep continuing to do great things. The world is our oyster, let’s make it beautiful. Congratulations to everyone walking across that stage. We did it!!! 

With two days until graduation it’s time for me to start getting a bit nostalgic. College has been good to me and I have very few complaints. When I look back on the last four years is the people who have come into my life. I consider myself extremely fortunate to have been exposed to as many truly great people throughout my college experience. I can’t lie and say that every person I’ve met in college has been amazing, there has been a fair share of not so great people, but even for them I’m grateful. I’m grateful for Alisha, whom I haven’t spoken to since freshmen year because I missed one day of her week long 19th birthday celebration. The good people, the bad people, at the end of the day I wouldn’t change a single relationship I’ve made. 

Chris Brown: Beautiful People

Life is always changing, every second of every day. It’s not easy to adjust to changes. What makes it even harder is as soon as you find yourself acclimated and comfortable in a new situation, something comes back to throw you a curve ball more or less. 

I’ve always been a firm believer that God specifically takes people out of our life at a certain time and puts people in our lives all for a reason. With that being said, I also believe that God is responsible for bringing people back into our lives, even if we don’t know why that person has come back. A certain person has seemed to come into my life, leave my life, come back, leave again…but always finds a way back into my life. The bigger reason behind this is beyond me. But this time around after this person’s absence I’ve become accustomed to life without him. Is it really that I’ve become accustomed or I’ve convinced myself that I don’t need this person. Regardless, I’m completely baffled by this sudden reentry into the game of my life. 

I’ve also got to be over annalyzing this situation terribly, because it seems as if this whole relationship is playing like a movie in my head. The good, the bad, the hurt and the happy all seems too surreal to actually be my life. But you know what, I’m probably just crazy.

Anyways, I don’t get it. Why are you back? Well you’re back but I’m not embracing your return. I love having you around, but even though you’re back things are going to be very different. I like where I’m at now, and I’m not going to let you distract me.

Sick Puppies: Riptide 

…the mess to clean up after a party

because it means I have been surrounded by friends.

…the taxes I pay

because it means that I’m employed.

…the clothes that fit a little too snug

because it means I have enough to eat.

…my shadow who watches me work

because it means I am out in the sunshine.

…the spot I find at the far end of the parking lot

because it means I am capable of walking.

…all the complaining I hear about our government

because it means we have freedom of speech.

…that lady behind me in church who sings off key

because it means that I can hear.

…lawn that needs mowing, windows that need cleaning and gutters that need fixing

because it means I have a home.

…my huge heating bill

because it means that I am warm.

…weariness and aching muscles at the end of the day

because it means that I have been productive.

…the alarm that goes off in the early morning hours

because it means that I am alive.

— Nancie J. Carmody