Live Life With Humor

Ladies and gentleman of the class of 2020. I stand here through the use of digital video today to tell you I am speechless. I have no words of wisdom to share with you because I am not wise. If you seek enlightenment I suggest you convert to Buddhism. I’m able to tell you I am not wise because I know that my personal experience is insignificant compared to the dozens of leaders and role models I have spent time with. I do not have the secrets to a better life and I do not have the secrets to a successful future. What I do have is my best guess. Some may call it an educated guess, but I think of it more like a gut feeling. And from what I can tell we all have our own gut feeling. Today I want to share with you what my gut feeling is.

In order to do this I want to evoke a memory in all of you. Can you think back to a time where you laughed so hard tears streamed down your face or your stomach hurt? Do you remember how during that time all you could feel was a sense of absolute euphoria? Whether you were with your friends or family or maybe people you hardly know you can always recall this event. And while at the time it may not have felt impactful to your life, I feel, deep down in my gut, that these memories are what build each and everyone of us as people. In the matter of half a minute the world shrinks down and it is just you and the people you are with. My gut also tells me that what we were laughing at then probably wasn’t as funny as we thought, but at the time we couldn’t think of anything funnier. I live my life looking towards the next funniest moment.

Because when you think about it laughter is a simple thing that has so much power. There are careers in the world where people get paid to be funny. People are always craving the next laugh because of the positive effects it has on the body. So while I give this speech with no words of wisdom, I will say that life becomes much simpler if you focus on what is funny. I mean come on, giving a commencement speech through video in the Auburn Municipal Airport to an assortment of trucks and cars is pretty hilarious. And while we all know the situation isn’t ideal I will admit it is an unforgettable funny moment.

I think back to all the funny moments and jokes I have laughed at in my life. Of course the first one that comes to my mind is a joke Liam and I had on the bus as elementary students at Libby Tozier. Every morning while we pulled into school I would make my body go limp and the turning of the bus flung my body into the side of the seat where I would bump my head against the window. Please keep in mind that this was probably first grade and we weren’t the brightest kids, but I remember we always had a good laugh before pulling in and it gave me something to look forward to the next day when we had school

Many of my close friends remember that during the winter of 8th grade year I had a severe snowboarding accident in which on my last run of the night I took an absolute digger and ate half of the mountain. I got up after the crash and walked down the mountain. A Ski Patrol stopped me and asked me if I was okay after seeing my fall. I said my shoulder hurt and they brought me in to look at it. I got inside and saw my two friends who I was with and I looked over and their faces were white. I sat down and my friends came over and were really worried. Instead of acting scared I eased their fears by acting like nothing was wrong. I even cracked a few jokes, no pun intended. While I waited to go to the ER my closest friends and I sat around a table and made jokes, told stories, and made fun of how silly my crash was. What was a pretty severe mistake on my part ended up being just another funny moment. To this day I am still teased about crashing that night, but it doesn’t bother me because that memory leaves me smiling every time.

I don’t tell you this as a way to just look back on what has happened, but to leave you hopeful for what will happen. While hard times and mistakes are inevitable you can always look ahead to the next funny moment . We are the generation of the future and that means everything that comes next is up to us, no pressure.

So as you drive away tonight I ask of you just a few simple things. 1.) Live life seeking the next funny moment. Even if that means you laugh at your siblings, your parents, your friends, or even a funny sound that your pet makes, please look forward to your next laugh. 2.) Make mistakes as often as possible. Not only is it funny to make a silly mistake, but it is also the easiest way to learn how to do something right. I know cliche, but it’s true. Just ask Jade or Kaleb because they made plenty of em. And finally 3.) Do whatever makes you happy. There is a limited world of unlimited possibilities and my gut tells me that if you are passionate about something in life it doesn’t matter what others say, you can always look forward to the next funny moment.

And to the class of 2020 I want to thank all of you for being with me during my funny moments. Whether it was in school, at practice, or at a sporting event you never ceased to bring a smile to my face. I am going to miss all of you next fall and I hope whatever it is you plan to do, that it makes you happy. Congratulations to the Graduating Class of 2020. Thank you, have a great night.

Photo by fourbrickstall on Foter.com / CC BY-NC-ND