5/21/08

Flip the tassel, YOSOHK ’08 grads


Tri-O's Oddities, observations, and opinions By Herb Kandel



Thank you once again, Ye Olde School of Hard Knocks, for the invitation to address the graduating class for the third time. As before, I will make this message brief, but not quite as fast as the rising price of gas at the pump.

Facing you in this ritual reminds me of when Mario Cuomo, the former governor of New York, in a similar position as commencement speaker compared that role to that of a corpse at an Irish wake. Both bodies need to be there in order to have a celebration but no one expects it to say very much.

Your BS, Batchelor of Survival degree, was earned by hard work traversing through life experiences. Most of you are approaching middle age and go out each day into the work force in order to provide a better and more fulfilling quality of life for yourself and your family. Of late it has become more difficult to do so. Last year at this time unemployment was 4.5% today it is 5.1%, crude oil was $64 a barrel now it is $126, and a poll of peoples confidence for a secure retirement has shrunk from 41% to 29% in that short span. Headlines along with lead stories on TV, radio, and Internet blogs shout pessimism and gloom when they report on war in Iraq and Afghanistan, home foreclosures, food shortages and rising prices, global climate change, recession, terrorism threats, tumbling stock markets, illegal immigration, the Arabfication of America, outsourcing to foreign manufacturers, drugs, teenage pregnancy, the crisis in health care, and the decision making in the forthcoming presidential election. Whew! It’s no wonder that hair coloring is the fastest growing service in the salon industry today.

Yet despite all the above mentioned worrisome situations Newsweek magazine, in an excerpt from “The Post-American World” by Fareed Zakaria, cites a group of scholars from the University of Maryland who have tallied the number of deaths due to organized violence. They concluded “that wars of all kinds have been declining since the mid-1980’s and that we are now at the lowest levels of global violence since the 1950s. ……80% of those casualties come from Iraq and Afghanistan which are really war zones with ongoing insurgencies and the overall numbers remain small.”

Why then does it seem we are living in such treacherous times with disaster lurking around the corner? Zakaria alleges, a theory with which I concur, that the information “explosion” provides scenes of the immediacy of events 24/7 from around the world. It wasn’t too long ago when we had only the radio and newspapers to keep us up to date. The radio had its 6 and 11 o’clock news for only 15 minutes. That pretty much limited itself to the more important events leaving the local happenings to the community stations and papers. There was no TV bombardment of national/global reporting, around the clock, with the preponderance of incidents leaning toward the sensational, scandalous, or shocking happenings. Then repeating it over and over ad nauseam. Don’t let the talking heads mesmerize you into their world. Listen and look, if you want to, but think for yourself, keep true to your hard won principles. Go, turn off the TV, and then hug your spouse and kids.

Two generations have grown up behind yours. Most of you graduating now are of Generation X, born between 1965-1979. You were preceded by the Baby Boom Generation, 1943-1965. Generation Y, sometimes called the Millennials from 1980-2000 followed you. Now the current generation, very likely your children, born since 2001 is being touted as Generation Z (just because it is alphabetically next) or Generation 9/11. I propose either Generation T-M (text messaging) or the still better, Generation I. “I” standing for Internet, iPhone, Ipod, or just plain I -- personal pronoun first person singular. Why? Just observe the egoism of any of the reality shows and watch how self-centeredness eclipses common sense, consideration, courtesy, and kindness. Participants rationalize, “It’s just a game”, but basic instincts do surface, the narcissism is apparent, and their actions tend become the “norm” for emulation by Gen I viewers. Make some of the values and virtues of your Gen X rub off on your offspring and don’t be afraid to separate the cemented cell phone from the ear of your kid.

In conclusion, look forward with anticipation to the coming years in your chosen work and profession utilizing your experience and optimism. Keep in mind that the typical peak earning period is from age 57 to 65. So for personal security contribute the max, if you can, to your 401k (where else can you get a 50% return on investment?).

Finally, two quotes to take with you : from Henry Ford, “Whether you think you can or think you can't -- you are right”……..and from me, “Remember to floss.”

Congratulations Class of 2008

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