When I went up to Bates College to see my friends graduate, I was amazed that one whole year has passed since I graduated. One year of unemployment. As I thought about my past, all of the graduates of the Class of 2010 were thinking about their future. Some of them had summer jobs lined up and others had trips planned. Many, even the ones with preliminary summer jobs or internships, were uncertain about what they really wanted to do. I found myself advising many of my friends about the “real world” and as I listened to the graduation speakers give them advice, as well, I contemplated what I would say to the Class of 2010 if I were up at the podium. So, here is my commencement speech for the Class of 2010:
Welcome my friends and my fellow wanderers to the Commencement of the Class of 2010. Commencement is a confusing term to use to describe a graduation ceremony. Many of us think about graduation as an ending as opposed to a beginning. The possible end of your time as a student. The end of living within walking distance of all of your friends. The end of your youth. Your last walk across the quad. Your last meal in the dining hall. Everything you do the week of graduation becomes one last moment, concluding a period of time that is most memorable and poignant in our lives.
Congratulations. You have now become college graduates, which is basically a euphemism for unemployed. Don’t let it wear out its welcome. I can only make fun of the unemployed because I have been one for an entire year. Yes, one year has gone by since I graduated. I am nostalgic for my college years and wonder why all good things have to come to an end. After tough work and overextending myself to find employment, I have grown optimistic and learned that all good things come to an end so that new and great things can begin.
We have a tendency to focus on the past and endings, however, any great writer knows that if you play your cards right, there will be a sequel. The sequel cannot be a repeat of its predecessor, otherwise it is a waste of words, time, and paper, all ever so important in the sustainability movement. While the sequel can revisit the initial story, it ought to introduce new elements and only look forward. The best stories are the ones that make you feel present as you read every word, so present is what you should be in your sequel.
Many endings have captivated and tormented us this year. Several renowned figured have died, some, like Brittany Murphy, much earlier than expected. A Polish president died in a plane crash, along with many of his staff. Oil spilled in the gulf, leaving both humans and animals dead or injured from the explosions and due to the pollution. Europe fell deeper in the economic crisis, and Greece went bankrupt. The winter Olympics came and went. Lost finally concluded, leaving us with questions unanswered. Simon Cowell left American Idol having said the kindest words to the finalists that he’s probably said in his life.
There have been many surprise endings, some good and bad, as there are in every compelling story. When you read a story, you always try to anticipate the ending, but once it comes, you are disappointed the journey is over. However, when you read this way, you miss out on the middle and the intricate pieces that each word tacks onto the overall work. People don’t talk as much about the beginnings.
The truth is that the end is narrow-minded because we forget the beginning. Beginnings happen all of the time, usually simultaneously with endings. While those who died will always be missed, there are new births and emerging talent every day. Crises bring people together to solve problems. Athletes have won their first Olympic titles. The New Orleans Saints won their first SuperBowl. Ellen DeGeneres joined American Idol and Lee DeWyze was crowned the next American Idol. Television series ended, but new series were introduced, proving that there is life after Lost.
People pay more attention to endings than beginnings because endings are definitive and beginnings are more unpredictable. You know how a story ended, but you don’t know how the sequel will develop until you read it.
Graduating from college is a lot like Lost. We crash and suddenly find ourselves in another world. We call it “the real world” even though it doesn’t seem real to us at all. Separated from our family, friends, and loved ones, we encounter “The Others” and form new networks. Until we find our purpose, we feel hung out to dry even when we’re surrounded by seawater. We grow fixated on getting back to where we were. When we’re scared, we blame it on smoke monsters, and when we’re happy, we forget for a moment that we’re on an island. However, the time may come that we’ll forget that happiness and feel alone once again.
The characters from Lost were so obsessed with getting off the island that they didn’t realize how the island was saving them. They all had been flawed in their previous lives and the island took them away from their problems. They formed new lives, friendships, and romances. The island brought people together that felt like they were falling apart. Yet, everyone still wanted to leave. That’s because they were all concerned about the end, rather than a new beginning.
Up until graduation, I sat with a friend of mind of the Class of 2010, and he was freaking out about graduating. He was a psychology major who had thought he wanted to teach, but now he wasn’t so sure. He had been offered a consulting internship in Nevada, far from his home and family in Maine. “Should I do an internship in a field that I have no experience in? Should I leave my family for the first time? I don’t know what I want to do.”
I told him not to be afraid to go for it, and that in the end, the internship was only eight weeks and he’d be back afterward. So what was there to lose? Regardless of how the internship went, he’d have an experience and perhaps gain more perspective on what he wanted to do career-wise. Our careers and our lifestyles can always be temporary and you can make a change whenever you want. The career you have now may not be the career you end up in. But you’ll never get to the end without a beginning.
It is second nature to worry about the future and grieve over endings, however, we often forget to live in the moment. The body of the stories of our everyday lives happen in the moment. It does not matter what we could have done or what we are leaving behind as long as we pay attention to where we are going. An ending would not be as strong without a solid beginning. We need to live life to the fullest from beginning to end, and then beginning again.
While beginnings are uncertain, that’s part of the thrill in life. Not knowing where you are going. Pursue a career and look for a job, but don’t be disheartened if you don’t find something right away. I have been unemployed for a year, but I don’t feel unemployed because I have had so many experiences. And, you know what, I finally found a job. So, just as important as optimism in the beginning is enjoyment of the moment as it happens, no matter the direction in which it turns. Be excited about finding a job and determining your future, but do not let nostalgia or fear of beginning cripple you. Searching for a job is part of graduating, but do not let it consume you. Make a decision and roll with it.
So, yes, graduating is an end, but Commencement is also a beginning. You have finished the first book and now you are onto the sequel. Appreciate the endings in your life, but don’t let them shortchange the beginnings of new stories. Congratulations, Class of 2010. Here’s to hoping that your beginnings make for happy endings. And, as the writers of your own life stories, always remember that if you don’t like your endings, you can always rewrite them.
