Assignment

Take time to think about pleasure

Take time to think about pleasure

What do I even say? We’ve been through months of a pandemic that has killed over 100,000 people in this country alone, and most experts agree it’s a matter of when the next wave will come, not if it will come. The unemployment rate in the U.S. has reached almost 15% and is expected to hit 20% before it begins to decline. The past week has seen a wave of anguish, anger, and fear in the streets of dozens of cities over the killing of George Floyd and the systemic racism his homicide reflects. It’s a challenge to be hopeful at the moment.

Your end-of-year assignment

Your end-of-year assignment

Around this time of year, when people are graduating from high school and college, I like to have a look at graduation speeches. Most graduation speeches are not very good--how could they be?--but that doesn't mean that there aren't some really great ones. Over the past week I've been perusing this year's best (Chance the Rapper and Oprah seem to be the hits so far, but there are still plenty to go) and the best from last year. 

And here's your assignment: draft your own graduation speech. Don't worry, you won't have to deliver it, or even write it. But give it some good thought and make an outline. Do this whether you're a graduating senior, a soon-to-be sophomore, or a been-there-done-that parent. 

Here are the ingredients to a good graduation speech.