published August 25, 2011
in the Stockton Sentinel
Stockton, Kansas
Today is
the first day of a new year. It is an exciting day for many of us, complete
with pictures being taken, new hairdos, book bags and new clothes, lots of hugs
and kisses, and many goals and resolutions. This new year’s day, however,
doesn’t rate capital letters like New Year’s Day on January 1st, although it
would be just as appropriate. For this day is the beginning of a new school
year – filled with hopes and aspirations among teachers and teachers’ aides,
administrators, cooks, custodians, bus drivers, and most importantly, the
students themselves – with everyone coming together to focus on a common goal:
education.
I remember
first days of school and looking forward with great anticipation. I remember
packing a paper grocery bag with new supplies (I don’t remember when book bags
were invented, but I don’t think I had one until I went to college!), then
waiting at the end of the driveway for the bus to stop and pick me up. Upon
arriving at school, I remember searching for a desk with my name on it and then
looking around anxiously to see who would be sitting next to me. Those were the
days!
And I
remember my senior year in high school, when I thought I had finally arrived at
the top of the mountain, that I had made it to “the big time.” By then, I
pretty much knew everything and had everything figured out. Or so I thought.
Looking back, I’m not sure I was even smarter than a fifth grader.
I’d be
surprised if any new senior in high school is reading this column (or reading
the paper, for that matter!), but some of you who are reading this may have a
smart senior in your family or know one personally. Some of you also have in
your family a monster who you barely recognize, but who the school has classified
as a junior high student.
For years, I have saved an article
about a speech made to an assembly of high school students by Bill Gates – the
founder and CEO of the Microsoft Corporation and one of the richest men in the
world. In the following excerpt from his speech, Gates spoke candidly to the
students about “the real world” lessons they won’t learn in school. In his
“Eleven Rules,” Gates’ thoughts are appropriate not only for high school
seniors, but for students at least in junior high through high school. (The Sentinel does laminating if you want to
clip this and tape it to their bathroom mirror!)
Rule 1:
Life is not fair – get used to it.
Rule 2:
The world won’t care about your self-esteem. The world will expect you
to accomplish something BEFORE you feel good about yourself.
Rule 3:
You will NOT make $40,000 a year right out of high school. You won’t be
a vice president until you earn it.
Rule 4:
If you think your teacher is tough, wait till you get a boss. He doesn’t
have tenure.
Rule 5:
Flipping burgers is not beneath your dignity. Your grandparents had a
different word for burger flipping – they called it “opportunity.”
Rule 6:
If you mess up, it’s not your parents’ fault, so don’t whine about your
mistakes – learn from them.
Rule 7:
Before you were born, your parents weren’t as boring as they are now.
They got that way from paying your bills, washing your clothes and listening to
you talk about how cool you are. So before you save the rain forest from the
parasites of your parents’ generation, try delousing the closets in your own
room.
Rule 8:
Your school may have done away with winners and losers, but life has
not. Some schools have abolished failing grades and they’ll give you as many
times as you want to get the right answer. This doesn’t bear the slightest
resemblance to ANYTHING in real life.
Rule 9:
Life is not divided into semesters. You don’t get summers off, and very
few employers are interested in helping you find yourself. You’ll have to do
that on your own time.
Rule 10: Television is NOT real life. In real life
people actually have to leave the coffee shop and go to jobs.
Rule 11: Be nice to nerds. Chances are you’ll end up
working for one.
As
long as you are in school, however, always remember that what looks and feels
and sounds like criticism, is actually love in action. Your teachers and
parents truly have your best interests at heart and want you to succeed.
Have a
happy new year, and may it be your best year!
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