Graduation Speech: May You Have Joy and Sorrow :: Graduation Speech, Commencement Address

I would like to begin my speech with these beautiful words of wisdomNot utilisation and not grieve is our destined end or way but to act that each tomorrow brings us farther than today.Did you hear that?Not enjoyment and not mournfulness is our destined end or way, but to act that each tomorrow brings us farther than today.What, do you all have hearts of stone? Where be the tears? Dont you put one across it even rhymes? Way-today, today-way, see that?I guess I sound a little too bitter about this dont I? I dont mean to. I am actually excited to be speaking here today, even to be speaking about the class motto. I dont jibe with it, but that doesnt mean I cant spend three minutes talking about it. Those of you who know me reasonably well know that theres not much I couldnt spend three minutes talking about. Ive been told that I talk a lot. But there I go already, back to the class motto.Not enjoyment and not sorrow, but to act.There are some things that I regret about the last fo ur years of my life, but the enjoyment and the sorrow for sure arent among them. Life is all about the happy and the sad, and it should be. I dont want every day of my life to be measured by what I accomplished everyplace the day before. Certainly, there are areas in which we as a society could use progress and action, but that should never exclude enjoyment and sorrow from being a part of living. Today, especially of all days, we should be thinking of these things. I am not worried this 8th of June about what I can do to advance myself past where I was on the seventh. I am worried about the fact that it is entirely possible that I may never see some of you again in my life after tonight. Not my best friends certainly, but all of those people we enjoy saying Hi to between periods, soulfulness from an old team or a class in ninth grade. Thats sorrow. But then its surely not all bad. Its summer, maybe not on the calendar, but in our minds. This is the summer of our senior year. Th ese are the three months out of our lives that most of our parents can only dream of returning to.