An open letter to graduates

At this time of your life, upon the graduation, you will be taking your first full stides into the adult world. It is perhaps the most exciting and the scariest moment of your life when you receive that piece of paper declaring to the world “Here is a graduate, world get ready for them!”

We graduated highshool at 16 and 19, in 1973, then I turned 17, 9 days later. Three months after my birthday we were married, soon, Susan was expecting the first child and I was off to boot camp in the Navy. With nothing but what we could fit in a 1972 Chevy Impala we went first to Chicago and Great Lakes Navy Base for Machinest Mate "A" school then Mare Island, California for Nuclear Power School and then Idaho Falls. Idaho for Prototype training and finally landing in Charleston, South Carolina assigned to the USS John Adams, SSBN 620 before I was 20 years old. Susan has worked retail, sold Avon and Tupperware and tried several entrepreneurial jobs. I spent 6 years in the Navy, 10 in commercial nuclear and 30 years in computer science. 50 years later we are still happily married, have two wonderful daughters, a great son-in-law and 6 wonderful grandchildren. We have lived in 13 different states and one other country in that time.

We have gone though 15 jobs, 3 layoffs, several hospital stays, numerous operations with one of our daughters, deaths of friends and families. We have helped critically ill family in their last days and welcomed new life. In our travels we have walked on white sand beaches, swum with sharks, shoveled feet of snow, climbed mountains and been deep under water. We have been blessed and have seeked to bless others.

In all relationships there will be tough times, try not to go to bed angry. Listen to understand, not to formulate a response. Read the poem Desiderata and apply its teachings to your life. Give others the benefit of the doubt. Give something to someone every day, good advice, a smile, food, money, whatever you can. Sometimes a kind word is all it takes to save a life. Never solve short term problems with long term solutions. Take all things in moderation.

We just wanted to try an distill a little bit of advice from all of that time and effort.

1. Be a doer, whether you say you can or you say you can’t you are correct.

2. Don’t fear change, embrace it, We have had three careers and enjoyed each.

3. Never stop learning. In my 60’s I took up blacksmithing and leather work, I didn’t started scuba diving until 47… it is never to late to start something.

4. Happiness comes from inside you, never let people steal it from you.

5. You are unique, strong and smart, always believe in yourself.

6. People will always be quick to tell you what can’t be done, show them different.

We wish we had some great wisdom to impart that would save you from difficult times. Wisdom comes from experience, experience comes from mistakes. Unfortunately everyone goes through them, they give us the ruler with which to measure the good times. Enjoy your life. The world is out there, go get it!