Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '09
Wear sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future,
sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen
have been proved by scientists
whereas, the rest of my advice
has no basis more reliable
than my own meandering experience...
I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth;
oh nevermind;
you will not understand
the power and beauty of your youth
until they have faded.
But trust me,
in 20 years you'll look back at photos of yourself
and recall in a way you can't grasp now
how much possibility lay before you
and how fabulous you really looked...
You're NOT as Fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future;
or worry, but know that worrying is as
effective as trying to solve
an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life
are apt to be things that never crossed
your worried mind;
the kind that blindside you at 4pm
on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing everyday that scares you

SiNG

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts,
don't put up with people
who are reckless with yours.

FLOSS

Don't waste your time on jealousy;
sometimes you're ahead,
sometimes you're behind...
the race is long, and in the end,
it's only with yourself.

Remember the compliments you receive,
forget the insults;
if you succeed in doing this,
tell me how.

Keep your old love letters,
throw away your old bank statements.

STRECH

Don't feel guilty if you don't know
what you want to do with your life...
the most interesting people I know
didn't know at 22
what they wanted to do with their lives,
some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know
STiLL DON'T!

Get plenty of calcium.

Be kind to your knees,
you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't,
maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't,
maybe you'll divorce at 40,
maybe you'll dance the funky chicken
on your 75th wedding anniversary...
what ever you do,
don't congratulate yourself too much
or berate yourself either.
your choices are half chance,
so are everybody else's.
Enjoy your body, use it every way you can...
don't be afraid of it,
or what other people think of it,
it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own..

DANCE...
even if you have nowhere to do it
but in your own living room.

Read the directions,
even if you don't follow them.

Do NOT read beauty magazines,
they will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents,
you never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings;
they are the best link to your past
and the people most likely to stick with you
in the future.

Understand that friends come and go,
but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps
in geography and lifestyle
because the older you get,
the more you need the people you knew
when you were young.

Live in New York City once,
but leave before it makes you hard;
live in Northern California once,
but leave before it makes you soft.

TRAVEL.

Accept certain inalienable truths,
prices will rise, politicians will philander,
you too will get old, and when you do
you'll fantasize
that when you were young
prices were reasonable,
politicians were noble
and children respected their elders.

RESPECT YOUR ELDERS.

Don't expect anyone else to support you.
Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse;
but you never know when either one
might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair,
or by the time you're 40,
it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy,
but, be patient with those who supply it.
Advice is a form of nostalgia,
dispensing it is a way of fishing the past
from the disposal, wiping it off,
painting over the ugly parts
and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen...