File Under--"And Other Fun Things Jan. 2010"

 ***I'd like to add here, 3/7/10, that I did some research on the attribution of this 'speech' to Mr. Vonnegut.  Here is a link that will lead you to the actual Author; who is not Kurt V., and her explanation of how the mix-up first occurred.  This is a correction as to the original Author of a newspaper column, Mary Schmich; her name hiding behind Mr. Vonnegut's, who never spoke at the previously reported MIT---ever, and through the miracle of Urban Legends and mass forwarding of emails, Ms. Schmich's words became--Kurt Vonnegut's.  Unwittingly he was the author of a newspaper article he did not write, and the Commencement speaker at a college he never spoke at.  Instead of deleting the words that I was so drawn to, I decided to make the correction, give credit where credit is due; and apologize for the incorrect attribution(s).
 Seattle Times Concerning Correct Attribution of 'Speech'

Gentle Hugs......


Welcome 2010 !

As I was reading my favorite Blogs, one does tend to lead to another, flying I go from link to link; finding new writers to read, newly-discovered pages of words, and the many ways of expressing themselves is perused.... and sometimes even more of a find is in the comment section. This certain comment on the blog, "One Sick Mother", caught my eye.

The writer passes along words from one of my favorite writers. I would have liked to have heard such a commencement speaker as Mr. Kurt Vonnegut. In these simple yet boorishly true statements, you do not need to look too deep so see that he speaks with the strongest undercurrent of all: LOVE.

A recurring a point observed, is that as we get older, we 'need' those that knew us when we were younger, in our life now. He mentions siblings, and friends from the real Old Days.

I found this fitting to start the new decade with a fine writer, and his words for the new grads; funny, kind, silly, and loving.



Kurt Vonnegut's 1997 MIT commencement speech:

"Ladies and gentlemen of the class of '97:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they've faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.

Don't worry about the future. Or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blindside you at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day that scares you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other people's hearts. Don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.

Floss.

Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is long and, in the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember compliments you receive. Forget the insults. If you succeed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep your old love letters. Throw away your old bank statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you want to do with your life. The most interesting people I know didn't know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-year-olds I know still don't.

Get plenty of calcium. Be kind to your knees. You'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either. Your choices are half chance. So are everybody else's.

Enjoy your body. Use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or of what other people think of it. It's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance, even if you have nowhere to do it but your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them.

Do not read beauty magazines. They will only make you feel ugly.

Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.

Understand that friends come and go, but with a precious few you should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people who knew you when you were young.

Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard. Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft. Travel.

Accept certain inalienable truths: Prices will rise. Politicians will philander. You, too, will get old. And when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children respected their elders.

Respect your elders.

Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund. Maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse. But you never know when either one might run out.

Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you're 40 it will look 85.

Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia. Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen."

Gentle Hugs... <3