What Would You Say?
I have been asked to speak at our local High School's Baccalaureate this Sunday afternoon. That got me to wondering, what would you say if you got the chance to address yourself before you graduated? Or, what would you like to say if you got the chance to speak to high school graduates right now?
Maybe I can use some of your thoughts in my talk this Sunday. Let me know what you think.
The pressure is on for this one. For a couple of reasons. One, the students themselves put this together and it was a student who called and asked me to speak. That means I can't screw it up or I am toast with all the other students in the future. Second, I have said for some years now that if I ever got the chance to speak a graduation that I would make it short. Because I know that the students, and especially their families, didn't come to hear the speaker. Students come because that is how they get their diploma and their parents and grandparents want to see them get the diploma. The families come to see their loved one up front getting recognized and they want some good photos (yes I realize that for some younger siblings they are coming because mom and dad made them come). The Faculty didn't come to hear the speaker either, so basically the only people who came to hear the speaker are the speaker and any of the speaker's family who attend.
So I have to be interesting and short, if I can somehow be memorable also that would be awesome.
Time is short and I need your help. So leave a comment (one that is fit to print) and let's see if you can help me out. If not for me do it for the students.
Let me think, who spoke at my graduation, or my baccalaureate? Did I even have a baccalaureate? I am pretty sure I graduated ...
posted by Denny @ 1:29 PM
2 comments
2 Comments:
Suggestion - be honest - no matter what the situation. Let us know what you say - don't make it too short
whooo....that's a tough one.
You're normally spot on with illustrations...
in doing the kids of the future series, what's impacted me the most is seeing how the choices I made as a young person have shaped my adult life, both good and bad. As an 18 year old, you feel so untouchable and that you don't make a difference...but neither could be further from the truth.
For me, everyone seems to give the ol' "you're great, and you're going to be great" speech/pep talk...I'd love to see someone say "parts are going to be great, parts are going to really suck, but if you can stay grounded in Jesus and a circle of friends you really care about and that love you, you'll make it through better than you were before."
Life can change in an instant, and all that they know could be taken away (like John Weldy, the Bluffton baseball team, and Whitney Cerak from Taylor)... if that happened, whould you be OK, or is your life and self-image based in fleeting things as these?
Looking out at the KFCers and kids that I've coached that are in Jr. & Sr. High now, I just want to pick them up and carry them to where I am so that they don't have to go through the hard parts, the pain, the disappointment, the hurt...but exactly those experiences have changed my life.
(Wow, that's a rambling mess of a comment...good luck finding anything useful at all out of it. Maybe talk to your seniors at your church in a roundtable and get some ideas. Maybe come out in an Iron Man costume and talk about hiding behind a mask. They may not remember your speech, but they'll remember the suit!)
OK, I'm really done now...
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