Graduation [CCR]

Graduation is just around the corner and I keep looking in the mirror for a reality check. My little girl is leaving for college. It seems only yesterday that Mom and Dad packed up our old 1974 Chevy truck and I left for Auburn. I have pictures of me sitting on the old couch in my efficiency apartment after arranging my furniture and posters.

Our seniors are approaching a time to make some very important decisions if they haven’t already made those choices. It seems once you make that walk to receive your diploma the rest of your life is abound with life changing decisions. You look back to the previous year as excitement towards independence and then you drive by the old school the next year longing for the security, but proud of your accomplishments.

It hasn’t been much more than fifty years ago that many young people were not able to complete school because they needed to start work early and help make a living on the farm. We have come a long way. But we have a long way to go. In those fifty years we have moved from a time where a high school education would guarantee a long term secure job. Technology and time have changed that paradigm. Today you need to develop a foundation in either technology, additional professional training, or additional education to acquire a seemingly secure job. Our young people’s decisions have a more profound affect on their lives today than they ever have before.

It hasn’t been more than fifty years ago that most young people were getting married soon after high school graduation if not before. The young couples were quickly forming relationships and looking for opportunity to promptly build their own family. Over time we have seen the average age of marriage shift upwards to near thirty years of age. Society’s pressures for working couples shifted the model. Our young people need to build a personal foundation rather than a joint one and then join the foundations to earn a living.

It hasn’t been more than fifty years ago that most young couples started a family early. The children were a necessity to assist the family in earning a living, mostly tending to the crops. Today children are a luxury that consume a majority of parental influence to prepare the children for life.

One may scrutinize my thoughts and proclaim dismay at the outlook. I think you need to examine the foundation of change to understand the improvement. With time we have better healthcare and we enjoy luxuries only imagined by my grandparents. In that answer lies the catch. Good choices provide the means for enjoying today’s successes. Having a work ethic, making yourself desirable, and building relationships places you on the correct road. “A good name is more desirable than great riches; to be esteemed is better than silver or gold.” Proverbs 22:1 withstands the test of time.

If you are among those about to embark on independence, the world is being handed to you with a clean slate. Look around you for guidance from those who have gained wisdom from their own choices. Take advantage of this new world to make yourself known. Find your contribution to the triumph of others and there you will find your own success. Most of all, celebrate your success in approaching this new venture knowing that coming this far only means you have what it takes to finish the journey.