"Wellesley High English teacher David McCullough Jr. told graduates 'You are not special. You are not exceptional,' quoting empirical
evidence. 'Across the country no fewer than 3.2 million seniors are graduating
about now from more than 37,000 high schools. That's 37,000
valedictorians ... 37,000 class presidents ... 92,000 harmonizing altos
... 340,000 swaggering jocks ... 2,185,967 pairs of Uggs. Even if you're one in a million, on a planet of 6.8 billion that means there are nearly 7,000 people just like you.'
McCullough makes a statement about parents who overdo it in a modern
society focused on collecting achievements. 'You've been pampered,
cosseted, doted upon, helmeted, bubble wrapped ... feted and fawned over
and called sweetie pie.' But 'You see, if everyone is special, then no one is. If everyone gets a
trophy, trophies become meaningless. ... We have of late, we Americans,
to our detriment, come to love accolades more than genuine achievement."
McCullough's address does push students to recognize real
achievement: 'The fulfilling life, the distinctive life, the relevant
life is an achievement,' and he encourages graduates 'to do whatever you
do for no reason other than you love it and believe in its importance.'"
http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/lookout/high-school-graduation-speaker-tells-students-not-special-145709954.html |
| Photo: Rhyn Williams http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/your-shot/weekly-wrapper |
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