SPGS Farewells Year 12 2009
By: Daniel Weatherhead
Posted 13 October 2009
The last day of Term 3 saw an emotional farewell by the school to our Year 12 graduating class of 2009. Students and staff assembled in the Centre for goodbyes from each of our year groups and the Validctory speech by Head of History, Mr Paul Humble. Read below for his reflections - ' Words of Wisdom for a Complicated Time '.
Words of Wisdom for a Complicated Time - Mr Paul Humble - Friday 2nd October 2009
It is an honour and a privilege to be asked to speak to you today… My very first class at St Paul's in 2006 was 9 HISTORY 4 and they had a significant impact on my start at the school. 3 students spoke to me within 30 seconds of my arriving at class…
1. Georgia Hiatt – stopped what can only be described as an incredibly high pitched, incredibly loud and astoundingly important conversation with a group of her peers to tell me that she hoped I did not expect too much from her on that day as she was felling a little tired
2. And Jacques Neilson looked me up and down; winked and smiled at me and asked in the laconic style typical of Jacques…You’re not Parto, are you?
I am very happy to present this farewell address…I have never before in my career been more impressed with, more confident of, more moved by, sometimes more infuriated by and more influenced by a group of young men and women than I have been by you.
This farewell address is simply a collection of my rambling thoughts about the life you are about to embark upon.
So…I shall begin.
Simple Observations for a Complicated Time!
Be fearless.
Have the courage to take risks.
Go where there are no guarantees.
Get out of your comfort zone, even if it means being uncomfortable.
The road less traveled is sometimes fraught with barricades, bumps, and uncharted terrain.
But it is on that road where your character is truly tested
These may be clichés. But clichés become clichés because they usually contain some essential truth.
Alright…Some tough love…and please do not think that all of this relates specifically to you…these are generalisations
I highly recommend you all become members of the two H club: hard work and humility. I read a book last year called “Generation Me” ... with the following subtitle: “Why today’s young people are more confident, assertive, entitled, and miserable than ever before.”
The premise of the book is that your generation — those born in the seventies, eighties and nineties — have been raised by parents who taught them that they were special from birth ... and not based on accomplishment or achievement. In other words, self-esteem without portfolio ... and that they could be anything they wanted to be.
But against the backdrop of the complicated, competitive world I just described, their high self-regard, high expectations, and sense of entitlement has set them up for frustration, anxiety, and disappointment.
As one social scientist put it, “This is a time of soaring expectations and crushing realities.” Ouch!
In light of this opening, I guess my first piece of advice better be: You MUST “Defy labels.” But there is something instructive in these challenging words. There is no substitute for hard work, for doing well at the job you’re in.
When I worked at my first real job, after 6 months I thought my life was over. It was so mind-numbingly dull that all I had to look forward to each day was …the end of the day. But I did it; (for at least another year), I didn’t complain. And along the way, I learned a lot, and was ready for the bigger jobs that were around the corner.
So no matter how much potential you think you have, a little humility will serve you well — and help you focus on doing your best in the job you’ve got, rather than plotting to get the job you think you deserve.
Be passionate. Do what you love, even if you don’t love it every day. My dad told me as a young man that if you can get out of bed in the morning and not cringe at the work day you have before you, then all will be well. I love what I do and thank the lord for calling me to my profession. I came to the realization that I had to be a teacher because:
a. I sincerely love the sound of my own voice
b. I’m deeply curious about the world
c. I love to interact with people
d. and I saw that when properly practiced, it is a craft that can help galvanize an often complacent citizenry, and make a difference
A decade and a half down the track and I am just as passionate about what I do as I was as a bright eyed first year out teacher.
According to a survey of 75 Australian business leaders with MBAs, the most important predictor of success is self-awareness. That means knowing — and accepting — your own strengths and weaknesses. In other words: Look at yourself honestly ... understand your passions, your skills, your temperament, and your limitations. If you’re a square peg, no matter how hard you — and others — try, you’re simply not going to fit very well into a round hole.
Happiness has much more to do with:
· your own basic constitution
· the people you love
· those who love you
· your outlook on life
· and loving what you do
Persistence is critical. Being creative and persistent is even better.
Another social mechanism that I know you will have to call upon at some point in your lives, is resilience. As John Lennon wrote, “Life is what happens when you’re making other plans.” You will inevitably face disappointment, loss, and struggles that are, at this moment, inconceivable and impossible to predict. On such a happy occasion, this reality may be a real leveler but I want you to be prepared to reach down deep and find the inner fortitude you need after disappointments big and small, and the painful losses that are an inevitable part of life.
Get to know your parents. You never know when they'll be gone for good. Be nice to your siblings. They're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
There will be times when many of you will be tempted to play it safe and to take the easy option. In the immortal words of Professor Albus Dumbledore, you will have to make the decision whether to choose what is right or what is easy…When faced with mediocrity, ignorance, pettiness and forlorn hope…to quote my favorite poet, DYLAN THOMAS…Do not go gentle into that good night…Rage, Rage against the dying of the light
At times, it won’t be easy. Unrealistically high expectations, unprecedented scrutiny, and what sometimes feels like a Greek chorus of naysayers pushing for you to fail — all of which will definitely test your character.
But I have never felt stronger or more confident about a group of young men and women. And I know that you will regret not embracing all opportunities that come your way during your lifetime. I hope that, when you feel it in your heart, you will also take a leap of faith and go for it.
Courage will be required of you on many fronts. Have the courage to seek the truth, and speak the truth, to stand up for the under-dog, and to stand up against intolerance — even if yours is the lone voice doing so. Have the courage to trust your gut and your own moral compass — your innate understanding of right and wrong. Have the courage to love wastefully, fearlessly and unconditionally, and don’t compromise that love because of arrogance or insecurity. And have the courage to accept that you’re not perfect…….. And that’s OK.
My penultimate point is often the one that takes the longest to learn, although you have gotten a head start, thanks to the good work done in your time at SPGS. Service is better than selfishness, and usually a lot more rewarding. Dr. Gilbert, the Harvard happiness guy, has studies that prove that generous people are also happier people. And while I’m far from perfect, I know that whenever I’ve made the choice to help others I’ve never regretted it.
The opposite of love isn’t hate; the opposite of love is indifference. Hold on to the wonderful idealism you have about the world, and your ability to change it, for as long as you can, and if possible, for your entire lives. Tune out the cynics who tell you that you can’t.
My final piece of advice is: Find the joy. Life goes by in an instant. In this fast-paced, crazy world, slow down enough to appreciate and revel in the many things you will experience — a baby’s smile, the beautiful symmetry of a cherry blossom, the embrace of a comforted friend, the spectacular palate of a desert sunset. All of which is the glory of the Lord!
One of my favorite Bible verses and one I try to live my life by (which is difficult when faced with ignorance, racism & mis-directed nationalistic dogma) comes from Leviticus 19:18
'Do not seek revenge or bear a grudge against one of your people, but love your neighbour as yourself. I am the LORD
In a world that seems increasingly snarky and judgmental, be kind. Be kind to your friends, be kind to your family, and be kind to yourselves. Remember, just as you are, everyone else is just doing the best they can.
I simply could not let this farewell pass without at least one reference to Ancient History…The Roman politician and general, Julius Caesar, uttered the immortal phrase alea iacta est as he threw caution to the wind and marched his troops across the Rubicon River and into what became the Civil War. There are 2 possible translations for this
1. The die is cast – there is nothing that can be done
2. But the alternate translation, the one I prefer and the one I believe Caesar would have used is that the dice is in the air.
If the dice is still in the air, no one knows what the outcome is going to be. This is the position you now find yourself in as you prepare for the last phase of your secondary education. Do you leave your future to chance…or do you ensure yourself every opportunity for success through preparation and determination????
In the shadow of the IB & HSC exams and university entrance scores, while you’re creating your own definition of success, let me relate to you Ralph Waldo Emerson’s. I first read this in a letter my parents sent me out of the blue when I was at university. He said success is:
“To laugh often and much;
To win the respect of intelligent people and the affection of children;
To earn the appreciation of honest critics and endure the betrayal of false friends;
To appreciate beauty;
To find the best in others;
To leave the world a little better whether by a healthy child, a garden patch, or a redeemed social condition;
To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have lived.”
I will end this with a Traditional Gaelic Blessing
May the road rise up to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face;
the rains fall soft upon your fields
and until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of His hand.
