Ailantha
  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact

My Second Commencement Speech

6/6/2016

0 Comments

 
Picture
     Once again graduation season is upon us, time for caps and gowns, Pomp and Circumstance,
Picture
Picture
...remembrances of things past
...and dreams of the seemingly infinite possibilities of the future,
Picture
...graduation parties,
Picture
Picture
Picture
Picture
...…and my second commencement speech.
     I posted my first commencement speech last year around this time as my offering to graduates on some topics that might not have been covered by the keynote speakers at their commencement ceremonies.
    In case anybody's interested in reading (or re-reading) my last year's commencement speech, here's the link:  
                       http://www.ailantha.com/blog/my-commencement-speech

    Anyway, since then I've thought of a few more words of advice to young graduates to add to last year's; and so, as an addendum to my last year's commencement speech, here, young graduates, is my 2016 commencement speech to you:

     1.  Graduates, remember that any accomplishment that comes easily and without considerable  effort or work is probably not worth much. Or, as master martial artist Bruce Lee once put it:  “I fear not the man who has practiced 10, 000 kicks once, but the man who has practiced one kick 10,000 times”.

       2.  When you've been sitting at a table and get up to leave, be sure to always push the chair back up against the table so no one else trips over the chair or bumps into it.  This is especially important in restaurants where servers are trying to quickly maneuver around the room with armfuls of food.

       3.  Speaking of restaurants, be good tipper.  Never leave less than 20%.  Even if the service isn't great and they messed up your order.  Most of the time the restaurant staff really is trying their best to please you, and, think about it, how rarely, if ever,  have you been served in a restaurant by a server who wasn't friendly and cheerful?  Remember:  if you can afford to eat out, you can afford to leave a decent tip.  If you can't afford to leave a decent tip,  then stick to healthy fast food.
      
        4.  The guy or gal who delivers your pizza should also be tipped 20%.  If you don't have enough for the tip, pick up the pizza yourself.

         5.  To figure out 20% you multiply the bill by two then divide it by 10.  And round up.

         6.  What people refer to as common sense often turns out to be nonsense.  Don’t latch onto easy-sounding  truths because easy truths often aren’t true.  The world is seldom black or white,

...or always pink or blue,
Picture
...and no matter how much you like or dislike somebody, nobody’s all good or all bad.  (Or almost nobody).
     
       7.  Wrestle with ideas.  Wrestle with angels.  Wrestle with yourself.  Don't mistake your own voice for the voice of God.  (The two can sound deceptively alike).   

     8.  You can't control what other people say or do,
Picture
...you can only control what you say or do.

     10.  Vote.  Read the news and find out about the candidates.  If you have the choice of two candidates and hate them both, choose the lesser of the two evils.  The lesser of two evils is still better than the greater of two evils.  

     11.  Having lots of good stuff doesn't mean you're blessed.

Picture
Don't consider yourself blessed unless you are a blessing to others.
      12.  You don't have to like everybody.  You don't have to be everybody's friend.  But you should at least make the effort to to be civil and polite to everybody, even when it requires effort.
   13.   "Kind words are short and easy to speak, but their echos are endless".  - Mother Teresa
Picture

       14.  Unfortunately, the same is true of  mean words. 

       15.  So don't say everything you're thinking. 
Picture
Unless you're thinking something kind.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture
    "Equal And Opposite Reactions"
     by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    http://amzn.to/2xvcgRa
    Picture
    ​"Hail Mary"
    by Patti Liszkay
    Buy it on Amazon:

    https://www.amzn.com/1684334888
    Picture
    "Tropical Depression" 
    by Patti Liszkay
    ​Buy it on Amazon:   
    https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BTPN7NYY

    Archives

    June 2025
    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    September 2024
    August 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014
    December 2013

    RSS Feed

    I am a traveler just visiting this planet and reporting various and sundry observations,
    hopefully of interest to my fellow travelers.

    Categories

    All


























































































  • Blog
  • About
  • Contact