ladies and gentlemen of the class of 2011, wear sunscreen.
If i coud offer you one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long-term benefits of suncreen have been proven by scientists everywhere

where the rest of my advise has no basis, or relayable, than my own meandering expireince.

I will dispence this advise, now:

enjoy the beauty and power of your youth. Oh, never mind. you will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until it has withered and disappereared. and trust me- when you look back at pictures of yourselves 20 years from now you will and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. you are NOT as FAT as you imagine.

don't worry about the future. or think about how worrying is as usful as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.

The real troubles in your life are apt to not have crossed your worried mind. the kind that blindsises you at 4 o'clock on some tuesday afternoon.

Do one thing, everyday, that SCARES you.

Sing.

Don't be reckless with other peoples hearts, or let other people be reckless with yours.

floss.

don't waste your time on jealousy.
sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind,

the race is long.

In the end, it's only with yourself.

Remember complements you receive, forget the insults.

If you suceed in doing this, tell me how.

Keep old love-letters, throw away old bank-statements.

Stretch.

Don't feel guilty if you don't know what you wanna do in life, the most interesting people i know didn't know at 22,

some of the MOST interesting 44 year olds, still don't.

Get plenty of calcium.

be kind to your knees
you'll miss them when they're gone.

Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't,
maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't
maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funcky chicken on you're 75 wedding annivesary.

whatever yo do, don't congradulate yourself too much, or berate yourself either.

your choices are half-chance, so are everybody elses

enjoy your body. use it everyway you can.
Don't be afraid of it, or what other people think of it, it's the greatest instrument you'll ever own.

Dance.

Even if you have nowhere else to do it but in your living room.

Read the directions, even if you don't follow them,

DO NOT READ BEAUTY MAGAZINES, THEY WILL ONLY MAKE YOU FEEL UGLY.

Get to know your parents.
you'll never know when they'll be gone for good.

Be nice to your siblings, they're the best link to the past and are most likley to be the people who'll stick with you in the future

understand that friends come and go, 
but for a precious few, you should hold on to.

work hard to bridge the gaps in geography and lifestyle, for the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you were young.

Live in New York city once- but leave before it makes you hard.
Live in North Carolina once- but leave before it makes you soft.

Travel.

except certain inaliable truths.

prices will rise, politicians will filander,

you too will get old.
and when you do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and childeren respected their elders.

respect your elders.

don't expect anyone else to support you

maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse, but you'll never know when either one will run out.

don't mess too much with your hair, or by the time you're 40, it will look 85.

Be careful whose advise you buy, but, be patient with those who supply it.

Advise, is a form of nostalgia, dispencing it is a way of reaching the past from the disposal, wiping it off and painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

But trust me on the sunscreen.