I was reminded recently, in a graduation speech, of Yogi Berra’s famous advice. “When you come to a fork in the road, take it.” It’s one of those, “oh, wait” pronouncements. You stop to think about it, and the funnier it gets. But yes, life is all about forks in the road, about making decisions, and about making significant choices.
In my newspaper column, which I write from time to time that appear in the local paper, I wrote about the transitions that come before us. High school seniors graduating and going on to . . . . institutions of higher learning, gainful employment, apprenticeships and internships, the military. Lots of options. None are irreversible, though. Nothing is forever. Even for those going on to postsecondary education, which college or university is the best fit. Which is giving the best financial package, which will offer the best payback with a degree. And very important today, which one or ones will incur the highest level of debt.
I wrote some time back that graduations are moments of transition, be they from college or high school. They represent the importance of learning and education, and the consequent investments communities have made in their young people. The African proverb, “It takes a village” was never more important than it is at this moment. Young people often think that they’re independent and don’t need adult supervision, and limited support. That’s typically not quite true. To quote myself, which I’m fond of doing, they’re “rather like molten lava spewing from a volcano, which is the earth renewing itself. “Young people, in their infinite variety, follow pathways that may seem bumpy, confusing, and often unsettling. They don’t usually get it right the first time, and they don’t always make the best decisions. With patience and perseverance, they will get there. And they need us watching over them. We sometimes forget that, too, either taking a “helicopter” or “hands off” approach. We’re there for them constantly when they’re little. As they get bigger, we may not pay quite so much attention. Sometimes, we miss the signs of something not quite right, or they hide those warning indicators from us. But for the large majority of our young people, they have thrived, they have flourished, so they, and the families and communities that have given them a helping hand along the way, deserve a pat on the back at this time of year. Faces smiling down on us from banners on the road, or lawn placards congratulating them. College may be looming (anxiously) in the future, or a new job and career opportunity beginning, or they’ve made a commitment to the armed forces. There’s a special place in our hearts for those, heading out literally to “serve and defend”, just as there is when we see a “veteran” bumper sticker or license plate. Some may find their footing right away, while others may explore different career paths before they find their great passion and direction. Some may start families, while others may decide to focus more on their professional lives. In whatever capacity, all of them will make contributions that will be of great value to our communities and our society.
A former superintendent remarked, in a graduation speech, advice from his grandfather. “Always leave the woodshed a little fuller than you found it.” It’s a great piece of advice, and speaks to achievements yet to come. At the same time, I think of those wonderful words from the comic strip, “Peanuts”, when Linus cries out in anguish, “There’s no greater burden that great potential.” So true, as we watch the Red Sox in yet another fall behind effort. A number of our young people climb the ladder of success in spectacular fashion – as healthcare professionals, civic leaders, legal scholars, first responders and safety professionals, teachers, inventors, engineers and construction professionals, managers, auto technicians, accountants, athletes, artists, musicians, actors. Their smiling, youthful faces from the pages of yearbooks only hint at the greatness to come. In fact, I saw a picture of a state representative in the paper some time back. I remembered him as a senior class president. Bound for success. A terrific young man, although I didn’t know him too well, but I knew him, and was proud of him even from our passing acquaintance. You just had a sense that he’d succeed. But all of our young people will go on to some measure of greatness in their own way, where they will combine intelligence, skills and knowledge, potentially luck as well, and the ability to get along with others. They may bring business skills to a town council or a school committee. Or legal skills and insights to a dispute. Or simply to be knowledgeable, informed voters, remembering that “success” forms a range, not an absolute. (I include this again, because I remember it with a smile from my daughter’s college graduation in DC from George Washington University. The president, concluding his remarks, directed the graduates, “You may now move your tassels, and I hope your politics, from right to left.” That’s how I was able to tell graduating seniors on which side to place their tassels.)
Graduating seniors would reliably tell me each spring that theirs was a “golden era”, never again to be replicated. They truly believed it, and they were right, of course. Their time would never be duplicated. Different, yes, but not necessarily “not as good”, which was what they meant. I’d remind them, too, that they were once inexperienced freshmen. That was true, they’d respond, but they were capable of much more than this new batch. The highs and lows of their time with me were special, unique, and memorable. Today, I cherish the gifts I was given by departing students – particularly the pictures. The memories of the lives that have touched me are as important as the gifts themselves. Hanging in our dining room is a picture done by a very talented artist from a while back. If you look at it closely, it’s all quotes of things I said to them during rehearsals. And the necktie in the center has become the title of my blog, “I’m thinking . . . . no.”
Like spring itself, our communities are renewing themselves. Our young people are blossoming, sprouting leaves, identifying and planning for their individual roadmaps. If we as communities have lent support, be it financial by way of school buildings, ball fields, libraries, concert halls, art galleries, and computer labs, then our financial commitments have been successful. We’ve been able to help. We’ve been part of the “village”. We hope that they all will have fond memories of the communities of their youth. Now, it’s time to celebrate before they head off to follow their dreams and ambitions. Best wishes to all of them, and remember that, “when you come to a fork in the road, take it!”
I'm Thinking...No! 