I'm helping my friend write his grad speech, and we're searching for inspiration. His theme(Like that of most grad speeches) is one of live life to the fullest, take risks, follow your passion, etc... Can anyone think of any well-known songs or quotes to fit the theme? I googled, and all I could find that was relevant was Eminem's Sing for the Moment, and neither one of us really liked the idea of that in the speech. Any suggestions? Hell, while we're at it...any stories?
At my HS graduation, our senior speaker gave a speech related to the Wizard of Oz. Things to succeed in life...you gotta have heart, courage, brain, etc. I never really liked our speaker in HS, but she did a really good job with the speech.
Did you find the story of the South American missionaries whose dying words were: "If not me, who? If not now, when?" Better check Snopes on that!
Dare to dare To laugh is to risk appearing the fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk exposing your true self. To place your ideas, your dreams, before the crowd is to risk their loss. To love is to risk not being loved in return. To live is to risk dying. To hope is to risk despair. To try is to risk failure. But risks must be taken, because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing. Those who risk nothing do nothing, have nothing, and are nothing. They may avoid suffering and sorrow, but they cannot learn, feel, change, grow, love, live. Chained by their attitudes, they are slaves, they have forfeited their freedom. Only a person who risks is free. - author unknown
Thank you. I have a copy of this on my bulletin board and used to have a Word document.... but lost it. This is inspiring. I know the cynics will say it is cliched. So what....
Wow, our neighbouring English teacher just gave their class this one, and we got to sit through and criteeeeek them. we got the better end of the stick. But one of the students wrote about milking Cats... Real wierd, but very very funny.
Just tell him not to thank his friends and family and not to restate his ENTIRE speech verbatim in a secondary language, so that his family can understand it. I swear to god I went to a graduation at UT this weekend where this happened. My mom had to wake me up b/c i fell asleep.
there's a quote by Teddy Roosevelt from the eulogy he gave at his son's funeral. i used to have it as my sig. it says something like, "the credit doesn't belong to the cynic, but rather to the man in the ring...the one with the sweat and blood and tears and dirt...and his fate won't be with those sad souls who never dared to try..." i'm completely paraphrasing, but it's an amazing quote. watch: Dead Poet's Society Good Will Hunting
haha...As an NHS officer, I actually have to stand up and escort graduates all night long, so I will most likely remain awake. Good stuff, guys...Thanks a lot. He used a takeoff from macalu's quote that fits in very well. I'll post the speech later after I ask him if it's okay.
