June 3rd 2011 Oakview High - Graduation Speech
Channel: AnnareShrayn
Date: 07/06/2011

More thoughts and Text version below.

Oakview High is a Independent Study school. I was really nervous and did not go as slow or make the emphasis at some key points I originally planned to.  

I hope my words make a positive impact on someone. Keep in mind this applies to all people, young and old, and not just the students graduating that day! If you have a beating heart, it can beat to the rhythm of love and compassion for all life.

I think Lupe Fiasco expressed it dead on. If I may quote him in "Words I Never Said"

 "I think that all the silence is worse than all the violence
Fear is such a weak emotion that's why I despise it
We scared of almost everything, afraid to even tell the truth
So scared of what you think of me, I'm scared of even telling you
Sometimes I'm like the only person I feel safe to tell it to
I'm locked inside a cell in me, I know that there's a jail in you
Consider this your bailing out, so take a breath, inhale a few
My screams is finally getting free, my thoughts is finally yelling through"
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Congratulations graduating class of 2011. We've finished our twelve year sentence! It felt like that sometimes, ya? Well.. perseverance paid off. 

Now, we are in front of a series of doors . . . Doors which lead to paths, which lead to more doors, which lead to more paths.. and so on. The amount of doors exists in numbers that are limited only by the limitations of our imagination. To quote Albert Einstein, "Logic will get you from A to B. Imagination will take you everywhere." It doesn't matter where you start in life, whether it's from a rich household that provided for your every need, or a broken family which left you to shed blood and sweat for everything you have, or anywhere in between. The possibilities are endless. Do not let anyone tell you that the roof is the limit, because there is a sky outside these walls. Skies which seem to stretch out into the cosmos with no end. Like each and every one persons potential. 

I don't know... any of you! But.. that was a expectation in the first place. Sometimes I wondered what would be different if we met. But now you could even say I am grateful it happened this way. I am grateful because looking back I see now that I was just an empty vessel bound to be a slave in the corporate society, with no real sense of who I was. While finishing up my senior year, I became exposed to all kinds of new concepts, ideas, sciences, philosophies, and alternative medias that stopped my world and turned it upside down, as I began to question everything around me. It has given me a entirely new and ever growing perspective of life. The beacon of this information lies on the internet, which has been the catalyst of revolutions world wide. Revolutions we sit back and watch but are too afraid, busy, misinformed or uninterested about them to do anything for change ourselves. I think the world has had enough revolutions to be honest, I think evolutions are in order. Revolutions are like a cycle, always rotating and bound to end up at the same place later on in time.
 
I do not celebrate today for the piece of paper that confirms the completion of conditioning of my mind to be an obedient worker. I celebrate today as the completion of a formality of the state. Not all was a waste though, I had the opportunity to attend alternative schools which freed me from 8 hours in a classroom every day. Although not totally out of the constructed learning system, I was able to pursue my own interests and studies. Although I had not realized and taken full advantage of this until the game was almost over, I see that the learning does not stop here. Learning does not stop at any collage or university either. Not after 5 years of perfecting your skill, and not after your initial job training. Learning is a life long experience and happens inside and outside of institutions. 

Today the youth, my generation, like many before, face problems in daily life and also on a much grander scale as well. Problems we did not create but are left to fix. Fear not, not at all . . . in fact, love the fear away. All fear does is make you controllable. Today we close the door of high school behind us, and walk down the path to the "real" world. If I can give any advice as we departure our separate ways, it is to treat others with love and compassion. It will take you much further in life than any fear based emotion will, and seems to be the only answer to the madness in the world today.

 Always remember your potential, always remember you are limitless and don't let anyone ever tell you differently, not even yourself.

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I wish I could have addressed more topics, or maybe the same ones in more detail... next time! :D If you have read all the way to here and have any negative opinions, please share them. Oh, positive opinions are welcome too, of course! XD Peace.