"Think: all men make mistakes, but a good man yields when he knows his course is wrong, and repairs the evil. The only crime is pride." - Sophocles
Tomorrow, you and I will enter the ranks of Malden Catholic alumni. In several months, most of us will become college students. It is only a matter of time before we become what society views as "adults," with complete educations, full-time jobs, and families to care for. High school graduation is an important transitional event, because it is the end of the beginning of our lives. From now on, there are different expectations and different responsibilities for all of us.
As you well know, my only objective with THE VOICE has been to impart some of the experiences that I have accrued over my MC career coupled with insight for the future. In a publication full of adults giving their advice for the future, I find myself in the unique position of being the only student voice. The best I can do in this situation is to enumerate what we should be looking for in our lives.
Most of us will continue to be citizens of the United States as we grow older. All of us will be citizens of the global community. Each of us should do everything possible to ensure that our government and our society never overstep their bounds or their jurisdiction. The more say we have in our governmental procedures, the more stable our country will be. By the time the next election comes around, almost all of us will be of legal voting age; I strongly encourage all of you to register to vote if you have not already.
Adam Smith wrote about the benefits of a laissez-faire economic system guided by the "invisible hand." Similarly, we must always be vigilant to identify the "invisible hand" of spirituality in all of our lives. Spirituality is a crucial part of human existence, as many of the teachers have written. Constant searching, through reading, discussion, and reflection, will provide all of us with the spiritual fulfillment that is necessary for a truly contented lifestyle.
It is important to be happy. But at this stage in our lives, it is impossible to decide how to measure our own happiness. The greatest philosophers in the world have offered theories on how to achieve happiness; it is our responsibility, if we desire to be well-informed, to read about the theories that already exist. Perhaps true happiness lies in the search for happiness.
As Thomas Jones wrote, "Friends may come and go, but enemies accumulate." This is the mother of all advice. Be outgoing, but be careful and wary of the repercussions of your actions. Never shy away from an opportunity to express yourself, though. The only way to live a truly outstanding life is to make sure that you are heard. (For those that might argue that a humble life of service is the best way to live one's life, you are making yourself heard to those whom you serve through that life; the same principle applies.) Speak out for what you believe in and work hard to make sure that your opinions are formed based on all of the facts available. Being well-informed was a core tenet of our MC education, and we must take that principle forward with us through life.
I leave you with one final thought and one final quote. Everything in life is relative. Tomorrow will be an exciting day, but relative to future events in your life, it will be a high of optimism and a low of action. Your MC career was, in some respects, a microcosm of your future life. There will be times when you have too much to do and not enough time to do it; there will be times when you are bored and restless; and there will be times when you are having fun. Take everything in stride and perhaps then, we will all achieve happiness. When we let trifling matters slide, we get closer to happiness.
"When one man, for whatever reason, has the opportunity to lead an extraordinary life, he has no right to keep it to himself." - Jacques-Yves Cousteau