Jon Stewart addressed the graduates of his alma mater, William & Mary. Of course, he started with the outline of difficult challenges before shifting gears:
“But here’s the good news. You fix this thing, you’re the next greatest generation, people. You do this—and I believe you can—you win this war on terror, and Tom Brokaw’s kissing your ass from here to Tikrit, let me tell ya. And even if you don’t, you’re not gonna have much trouble surpassing my generation. If you end up getting your picture taken next to a naked guy pile of enemy prisoners and don’t give the thumbs up you’ve outdid us.
We declared war on terror. We declared war on terror—it’s not even a noun, so, good luck. After we defeat it, I’m sure we’ll take on that bastard ennui.”
You should go read the whole thing, but I think this line stands out as the key thing that everyone, not just graduating students, should learn: “Love what you do. Get good at it. Competence is a rare commodity in this day and age. And let the chips fall where they may….” Amen to that. And thanks to Rick Klau for the pointer.
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