This column represents the opinion of Jason Hennington, and this week serves as a graduation speech to seniors, high school or college.
Students, you have reached graduation, but let’s talk about when you were a child. Everyone is familiar with the game of tag, which I only recently learned stands for “touch and go.”
The basic rules of tag are you touch someone and then you’re “it.” Your goal is then to touch someone else to make them it.
Now that you have graduated, it’s time to play a more grown-up version of tag.
No, you’re not going to run around trying to tag someone, but from this moment forward, you have an opportunity to do something to help others around you.
You’re not a child anymore. You are now entering another chapter of your life, and yeah, you have to be an adult.
Being an adult means more than getting up and having a cup of coffee, reading the Taylor Press, going to work and paying bills. It’s about becoming a part of your community, wherever that may be, and doing something that will reach people. Those could be the people around you, children growing up, people you don’t know, but no matter what, you are ultimately doing something to help others.
Some of you chose to take courses to help you get into the workforce right out of high school. You may have received a certificate to work in a specific trade, and you will begin earning income immediately.
In whatever profession you are certified, you are working to help others. Yes, you get paid for doing a job, but the true goal of your calling is to improve something in society.
The same goes for anyone who is going to college. You are taking the next step in becoming a resource for people in the world.
If you decide to be an engineer, a doctor, an animal scientist, an astronaut or a lumberjack, you are still providing a service.
The same goes for those with dreams of becoming a professional athlete.
While you get paid to play the sport you love, you are providing entertainment, and possibly motivation, to the fans who watch that sport.
When you move to the next level in anything, I encourage you to strive to be the best. Not just because there is more money involved, but so you can provide the most top-notch service to the people.
As a kid I often heard, “No matter how hard you work, there is someone working harder than you.” That’s not an insult, that’s motivation to not slack off or do things halfway because someone else will come and do it better.
With your graduation, you now have an opportunity to be the person who is outworking everyone else. You have a golden chance to give back to your family, your friends and your community. Whether you believe it or not, everything you have done for the past 18 or so years was to prepare you for this moment – graduation.
Once you cross that stage, you begin a new chapter in your life. It’s up to you to determine what that will be moving forward.
Your parents, guardians and teachers have done their part to give you all the tools you need to be successful. Now it’s your turn to show what you have learned and use it to make the world a better
place.
The easy part is over. The real game begins now.
Tag, you’re it! I’m going to get off my soapbox now and cheer for my San Antonio Spurs for winning the NBA lottery and the right to draft Victor Wembanyama.
“Start where you are. Use what you have. Do what you can.” —Arthur Ashe
