What Time is Recess?

Well, we have graduation on the brain around here! I heard part of one of Tom Brokaw's graduation speech this past weekend and thought it was one of the more honest speeches I've heard. Here's an excerpt:

What, you may be asking yourself this morning, is this real life all about? Ladies and gentlemen of the Class of 2005 at Dartmouth, it's not college - it's not high school. Real life is junior high.


The world you're about to enter is filled with adolescent pettiness, pubescent rivalries, the insecurities of 13-year-olds and the false bravado of 14-year-olds. Forty years from now, I guarantee it, you'll still be making silly mistakes, you'll have a temper tantrum, you'll have your feelings hurt for some trivial slight, you'll say something dumb and at least once a week you'll wonder, "Will I ever grow up?"


You can change that. In pursuit of passions, always be young. In your relationship with others, always be a grown-up. Set a standard and stay faithful to it.

Scary, isn't it? But only because it's true. Every day of my life I battle with one or more of the things he listed. I keep waiting to Grow Up, so I won't have to deal with that junk anymore, but when will it ever happen? Maybe there is no growing up. After all, isn't the whole point to keep testing our character? And maybe even make that character a little stronger for the experience.

Anyway, If real life is junior high, then I'm pretty sure my report card needs some work in most of my subject areas. I'd like to go back to reading during my lunch hour every single day. I'm still spending my lunch money on treats. And I KNOW I'm definitely late for recess.