 When I was first asked to be your guest speaker I was at first shocked, ... then I wondered who couldn't make it, ... and then I felt honoured. I started thinking back to my graduation, and reminiscing about the guest speaker I had. After careful hours of deliberation I realized, ... I had no clue who my guest speaker was! All I remember is an old man standing in front of us telling me how the world was a journey, doors will open and close always remember what you've learned in school. But, what I really remember is that I was wishing the old man would stop talking nonsense about things that I really didn't care about. I had barely made it through finals, my next job was filling pots full of sand, and my schedule for the future included the next 24 hours. So, keeping this in mind, I decided that I would not stand on a soap box and tell you all my hard earned wisdom, hoping to pass it down to you. In fact my plans for the future still only contain the next 24 hours, and I am still waiting for that metaphorical journey to begin. What I will speak to you about, though, is my wishes for you, the graduating class of 2001. I will hopefully show you that whatever life brings you, whether its today, tomorrow or 30 years from now, you already have the skills you need to make these wishes come true. My wish for you is to always be kind to others. Kindness will always be returned and just the opposite. I read a letter a 7 year old wrote to God and in it she wrote, " Did you really mean do unto others as they do onto you, because if you did then I'm going to really fix my sister good". This quote reminded me of the time while playing volleyball Jennifer bumped the ball directly into her sister's face. I'm not entirely sure what Jamie did to Jen, but I'm guessing she evened a score with that one. My second wish for you is to be a part of the future and respect the past. I had the most contact with this class as an aide and coach, just by them asking me here today means anyone can have an influence on others, regardless of your profession. Listen to the old lady who may go on and on about when she was young as you are her tie to the future. Sandy is already making this wish come true by couselling at summer camp each year and she continues to keep the elderly spirit alive, like last year when she took Mrs. Shilka out shopping for leopard print pants. Next, continue to be a part of your community. Volunteer in any way possible, take your niece camping, or start up a baseball league (and I happen to know where there is a nice ball diamond). Know your neighbours wherever you might live, and be willing to help out in any way you can. Lance showed this characteristic when a certain ball diamond needed a fire pit. Lance spent hours on the tractor just to dig a hole. I wish for you to remain focused. This will allow you to ignore distractions and remain committed to your goal. In class when everyone was off on a tangent, Kyle remained on task. This allowed him to accomplish his goals in a timely manner. I wish that you will always stand tall, ... don't back down even if the other guy is bigger and scarier. I coached Andrew in volleyball my first year at Worsley school. Andrew was in grade 10, the youngest on the team, and not much taller than the average third grader. We were playing a much larger and more experienced team. I placed Andrew in the starting line-up, middle back row. The other bigger guys on the team were even intimidated to go out onto the court, but not Andrew; he ran out onto the court and stood his ground. That was until one of the more burly boys of the opposition spiked the ball onto our side. I could see it was heading straight for Andrew and I even felt a bit of panic wondering what this ball would do to this young man. But, Andrew stood his ground, took the spike, flew back about 10 feet, got up with a bloody nose, and was ready for the next hit. I also wish for you to help others every chance you get. Valerie was always willing to help out in the library. Judith helped me cut out numerous pages of laminating, a job as fulfilling as watching paint dry. My next wish is for you to share. Even though this is one of the first things that you were taught to do, it may still be the hardest. Share you happiness, share your seat on the bus, or hey, even share a ride in an ambulance. A week ago Jaycee did just that with my wife. Not content to just share the ride, she also wanted to share the excitement of hearing the sirens, so Jaycee calmly told the ambulance attendant that the ride was too boring, and proceeded to ask him to turn on the sirens. I wish for you to be able to be your own person. You are the one who has to live with your decisions. Cara was always strong enough to stand by her convictions. Whether it was a dress-up day or making an announcement on the intercom, Cara was never afraid to stand out from the crowd. I wish for you to always have a sense of humor. Christine has always had me in stitches since the first day I met her. Whether it was starting up a game of charades in a crowded hotel room, or using her knowledge of poetry to make up ridiculous chants, Christine can always have a good laugh. I wish for you to be able to roll with the punches. Don't let the little things get to you. I don't think I have ever seen Shandy get upset. She is able to take whatever comes her way in stride. I wish for you not to let obstacles stand in the way of what you desire. At the start of the volleyball season Jody approached me to tell me she was going to play volleyball. Now, this may not seem unusual, until I tell you that she was on crutches with her leg wrapped from her toes to her hip! Even though she couldn't play, we were fortunate that she came to the majority of our games to share her desire with the rest of the team. The following year Jody went on to be captain of the senior girls' volleyball team. While being a strong individual, I wish for you also to be able to be a team player. You have to be able to work with others. Daniel has shown us that by being a part of a team, ... the team as well as the individual can achieve great things. Like a league championship. I wish for you to be able to speak your mind. One of the greatest things is to know where you stand with someone, and not be worrying about what they are saying behind your back. Amber has the ability to tell you what she thinks to your face. There is no questioning what she thinks, good or bad, when she is done talking to you. Now, what does this all mean? What this means is that you already have the skills required to make your wishes come true. You have been a part of each other's lives for numerous years, and have taught each other these skills. Finally, I should make one last wish for the class. O.K., That's what I should do, ... but instead I'm going to be selfish. As you know, I'm going to be a Dad in September, and I'm going to take this time to make a wish for my unborn child. And that wish is this, ... I wish, I hope, my child will have the characteristics that you, the Grads of 2001 have. Then I could be as sure of his or her success as I am of yours. Congratulations.
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