Best Wishes 2020 and a Touch of Regret

To: My fellow cool cats and kittens (watch Tiger King)

Hello class of 2020…this is…a bit weird, but I shall do my best. Rather than do a commencement speech like the rest of you I decided to do more of a goodbye letter, since I’m not graduating this year. So I spent a good while sitting on my couch trying to figure out what I wanted to say to you all and came up with approximately zero ideas, so there’s that.

First off, I owe all of you a great deal of thanks. Whether you are aware of it or not, this graduating class of 2020 has had by far the greatest impact on my life, and chances are if you’re reading or listening to this, you’re one of those people. So, let me tell you why you deserve this thanks. In terms of specific people I think it is best to leave those goodbyes for later, but in general terms there are a few areas of thanks. First, thank you to the senior boys of the lacrosse and soccer team for all the bruises, twisted ankles, slashed wrists, and stepped on toes. Those will not easily be forgotten. But to those same people, I attribute my determined spirit, competitiveness, and positive outlook on life.

For my lacrosse seniors I will greatly miss bowl laps and ball hunts while being yelled at by big Hink. To my soccer teammates for the last 10 years I will always remember our latest and greatest playoff run, and thank you all for what you did for the program and for me. Much of the joy and friendship experiences I have had have come from these two sports. Bob says hi by the way. 😉  To those of you who I have had in school classes over the years, I shall always remember how welcoming you all were to an underclassmen in your midst. I thank you for the many laughs, funny voices, and the teasing smacks on top of the head with a gatorade bottle (you know who you are).  Finally I thank you for always beating us in every school wide competition ever held, I always liked participation trophies anyway…

Now to the future, I could do the cliche “you will all succeed and do great things” speech but no, no I don’t think I will, you’ve probably heard that enough. Instead I’d like to simply offer my hope that you all succeed. Some of you will fail in your future endeavors, that is undeniable, but I hope that you all remember that pain is temporary, and chicks dig scars, so go for it. To those of you attending college I expect great things, and to those of you not, I expect the same. You each determine the level of your own success, not a plaque on the wall. 

Finally, the toughest part for me is, saying goodbye. The halls of the school next year will undoubtedly be missing the energy, enthusiasm, and carfee attitudes of each and every one of you, and we are all worse off for that. But, all good things must come to and end, and that is where we find ourselves, parting in our separate ways. The community will miss you, your families will miss you, and I mostly certainly will too. To those of you attending college or working nearby, I look forward to chance reunions in the grocery store, sports games, or the doctors office. While we will definitely be separate, I shall never forget what you have done for me in my life. 

To those of you attending college or working out of state, out of New England, or out of the country, this may be our final farewell, which without a doubt, is something that weighs heavy on my mind. There will be those of you who I shall never see again, but I know that we both gained something positive from our friendship, camaraderie, or shared experiences. 

In closing, a piece of advice from my very limited wisdom. Do today, what you will have wished you had done five years down the road. In other words, act with foresight in mind, because you won’t get today back. I know in five years I will be wishing I had spent more time with the class of 2020 rather than watching Gordan Ramsey scream at someone who left the burner on too long. So I ask that you avoid what mistakes I have made, treasure each moment for what it is, and have an all around good time in life, cause why the hell not. 

Best wishes.

-Riley

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