Graduation Speech :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

Not only are we the class of 2006, but those you see before you now are also the future of our society. Our generation has, thus far, failed to establish the same type of defining characteristic as our predecessors. We are not the Baby Boomers, the Flower Children, or the Generation Xers. Instead, we are the most worldly generation yet to come. There is no doubt that our exposure to a vast array of media has permanently shaped our lives. However, only our futures will tell to what effect. As we look forward into the great "Abyss" that is our future, "Titanic" opportunities surround us. As the end of our "Nine Months" nears, many of us will choose to further our academic educations while still others will further their vocational skills in the workplace. Whatever each of us chooses, we cannot be "Clueless" in that the decisions that we make today will lead us either to a personal "Armageddon" or to becoming "Larger Than Life." Today is our "Judgment Day." At this very moment, our ability to determine our fates is "As Good As it Gets." We are faced with the option of continuing to go "Good Will Hunting." Do we choose to live selfishly, consumed by the present, or plan our lives as though we were going "Back to the Future"? We must take "The Stand" to ensure that, with all due "Speed" the lives that we begin to sculpt for ourselves tonight are worthy of our time and effort, and will be more than just financially rewarding. This is a part of "The Big Picture." If we allow ourselves to be consumed by the things that we've always been told we should want, we quickly find that "Reality Bites." Before chasing after a certain lifestyle, like fortune, "Fame, Mo' Money," or "Absolute Power," we need to determine what we want from life. If these factors are truly important, then by all means, we must chase after our dreams with the attitude of "I'll Do Anything" to achieve my goals. However, we must never allow our morals, ethics, beliefs or goals be compromised. We will never be happy if we allow our individual beliefs to be "Ransomed" by the false ethics of others. We must be true to ourselves, and remember that you "Can't Buy Me Love" or happiness. No matter how well we conform to the ideals of others, we can never be happy if we fail to conform to our own.