Central High’s graduation was held Tuesday. What would be your message to the Class of 2011?
Here’s one perspective:
First of all, congratulations. You have achieved one of the first milestones in your life; it wasn’t that bad, was it?
Realize how incredibly fortunate you are. You live in one of the most wonderful places on the entire planet, and you’ve experienced a rewarding, fortunate and even luxurious, by many standards, life in the United States and in Hopewell Valley.
Don’t take that beneficence for granted, and be prepared to give back. That doesn’t necessarily mean money; often that’s an easy copout from personal commitment, a true measurement of empathy and responsibility.
Please become a true citizen, involved in community life. Participate where you choose. At the very least, understand that you are a personal force in the world, and you can start right here. You can volunteer to fight fires or treat medical emergencies. You can coach youngsters, or help raise money for a myriad of good causes. You can help shape the public debate.
It’s not a trite phrase: Think globally, act locally. You can chip away at even the knottiest crises with small steps.
Keep on top of issues that you may think now are swirling above you. You can make a difference in the education of those who will follow you. You can make a difference in the leaders in the township, state and country.
At the very least, vote.
There are a lot of pieces of scattershot advice we could give:
• Put down the phone and look people in the eye when you talk to them.
• When you make a promise, deliver — in spades, if you can.
• Pay attention to the natural world. How many of you can point to east, west, south or north — without the aid of a GPS?
Mostly, though, we encourage you to embrace some facet of civic life. Yes, it may occasionally make your life a little more complicated. Yes, it might require you to give up some pure pleasure, but resist the self-centered rationalization of “what’s in it for me?”
In the end, the world needs you and you’ll feel better about yourself.
We promise.
