Graduation Day

As of about 12:30 this afternoon I am officially unemployed for the summer. Happily, I'll be back in the fall, so that just leaves a job for the summer. Which I haven't got yet- but I have applications out everywhere and an interview at Payless in about an hour or so.

The kids at school graduate today and I know a bunch of seniors this year, so it got me thinking about what exactly one says to high school graduates. I'd want to avoid the usual crap about dreaming big and living your life and half the entries from the big book of 'one thousand and one useless clichés.' Upon mild reflection, I would recommend the following:

Tom's Ten Tips for Life
1. Take every opportunity. Things may seem big, scary and hard to wrap your head around- and you may have the instinct to crawl back into bed and stay there. Don't. Take every single opportunity you can get- because you get to go to college once and you get to live life once.

2. Never use the following songs for your graduation or other life milestones:
Good Riddance- Green Day
The Graduation Song- Vitamin C

I myself found this to be an OK fad song with some relevant wisdom, but it too has become cliché:



3. Never do straight tequila and avoid Jaegermeister like the plague. You'll thank me later.

4. For break-ups, heartbreaks and other sad moments in life you can't beat the following:

Fleetwood Mac-Rumors: Best break up album EVER. Period. Ask your parents- they'll totally back me up on this. Not only is Fleetwood Mac one of the bad-ass bands of rock n'roll, but this album is actually inspired by the fact that the band was sleeping with each other, broke up with each other and one of the best albums ever made resulted. (Stevie Nicks left Lindsey Buckingham, Christine McVie cheated on her husband and Mick Fleetwood just did a lot of drugs, I think.) It'll help, I promise.

Bob Dylan- Blood On The Tracks: His post-divorce album that blew so many people away, this album is full of melancholy, longing and heartbreak. Perfect soundtrack to a broken heart.

5. Do something crazy at least once. Everyone should have one thing they can look back on and say 'what the hell was I thinking.' Whether it's a bad tattoo or a piercing in a really weird place, such foolishness is the hallmark of youth. You can't get a nipple piercing when you're 40. People will just think you're weird.

6. Find what you love and do it. Too many people think that life is about making money and having a big house, but let me tell you: life ain't about the superficial crap. There's no point in having that big house and kick-ass job if you hate it. So figure out what you love and go and do it. Figure out a way and just go. It's better to be happy than ridiculously wealthy.

7. Don't piss around in college: believe it or not, it costs money. Lots of money. If you don't know what you want to do, go to a junior college, knock off some gen ed requirements, figure out what you really want to do and then go do it. It costs money, so the more confident you are in what you want to do, to quicker you can get it done and the less money you spend.

8. Learn a foreign language: I've got about three kicking around in my brain, but learn a foreign language. If you have too, learn two. Or three. They can take you places and get you really good jobs. Overcome the fear and enter the world.

9. Learn as much as you can. Knowledge is power.

10. Write, paint, sing, dance, jump up and down, cry, laugh, love, take a chance, take a risk do everything. It's life. You might as well enjoy it.