November Sunscreen

For Commencement, we had Nadia Comaneci. I remember that she told us that after the Olympics, she was could eat whatever she wanted.

?

In the spring of 1999, "Everybody's Free to Wear Sunscreen" addressed us - The Multitude - as we drove to the pool, worked on our cars, made our photocopies, waited on the weather report and baked our apple pies.

I didn't know the exact story, but I'd heard that some it was Some Guy (Kurt Vonnegut- I looked it up) giving a commencement speech.

I didn't know know who he was, so I pictured Martin Sheen.

It was comforting.

When you're worrying about What You're Going To Do With Your Life, well-after 4 yrs of expensive and arduous higher education.... When you dwell upon the countless hours in The Lab, The Library, The Dorm, The Band Storage Closet arranging pungent polyester marching band uniforms for Work Study, not to mention The Heartrending Separation that a family endures at such times... for....? When you factor in not only my sacrifices, but those of my loving and dedicated parents, friends, family and church folk, who gave me encouragement, ambition, time and $$.... for...?

.... you experience Anxiety. And Guilt.

And then, you hear someone similar to Martin Sheen proclaim with avuncular authority:

"Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your
life…the most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they
wanted to do with their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year
olds I know still don’t."