2020 ‘class of vision’ never saw this coming

Hey, you. Third row. Second chair from the left. The one wearing a traditional cap, gown and … er, mask?

It’s your graduation day.

I know. This is not the way it was supposed to be. This is not the picture you would have painted. The game kept changing, and the goalposts kept moving. High school commencements were called off, rescheduled or dramatically altered. No pomp. Plenty of circumstance.

For all the fun you have had as the Class of 2020 -- especially with the word play on “vision’’ -- nobody could have seen this coming.

For the past three months, you repeatedly were told to wash your hands, something you were taught in kindergarten. You weren’t expecting the same drumbeat at age 18.

Students, faculty and guests will be required to wear a mask at graduation. All those grins and smiles will be covered and smothered. You must continue to practice social distancing from the same classmates and teachers who have had your back and been by your side for most of your life.

Sadly, this day will carry an asterisk. You were the seniors deprived of your final victory laps. You were hurried out the door with no punctuation at the end of the sentence. You were confined to your home as if you had permanently been grounded.

You kept waiting and hoping for the clearance that never came for those special events -- prom, honors day and baccalaureate.

Instead, your school held a drive-thru pickup for you to receive your cap and gown. Your parents sent invitations to your “virtual” graduation party. You never want to hear the word “Zoom” again.

As a high school teacher, my heart goes out to you. You have the right to feel sorry for yourself. Go ahead and have a good cry, if you haven’t already.

Please, though, don’t throw a pity party for the rest of your life. Move on. Don’t play the victim.

You are not alone. People have lost friends and loved ones during this terrible pandemic. Economic security has suffered and jobs have disappeared. Weddings and funerals were placed on hold. Trips, reunions and recitals never happened. Baptisms and birthdays barely were acknowledged.

I am not here to preach but rather dispense my annual graduation advice. It is based on a wealth of collective wisdom and a lifetime of experiences.

Although you have spent the last 12 years learning from a textbook, here is what you really need to know.

• You cannot binge-watch life. It is not a “quick pick” on a lottery ticket. You have to grind. Persevere. Stick to it. Give us thy daily grit.
• Before you start worrying about where you are going, take time to appreciate where you have been. And thank the people who helped you along the way.
• You don’t deserve a “participation” trophy for every sport you play. (Just ask your parents, who probably have a closet full of them.)
• When you are not moving your body, move your mind. And when you are not moving your mind, move your body.
• If you promise, deliver. Don’t be all wind-up and no pitch.
• Look both ways in everything you do, not just when you cross the street.
• Don’t zap every experience in the microwave. Some deserve to simmer in the crock pot.
• You will not make better time -- but you will have one -- if you travel the back roads instead of the interstate.
• Measure twice, cut once. Write once, edit twice.
• If you laugh, you will live longer. It has been proven in medical studies and scientific journals. The Bible says it in the book of Proverbs. A cheerful heart is good medicine.
• Be prepared to get more emotional as you get older. Even chewing gum commercials will put a lump in your throat and tears in your eyes. (I speak from experience.)
• You will have homework every night for the rest of your life. Get used to it. And please turn it in on time.
• Don’t write like you text. And dnt snd txt mssgs when ur drivin. K?
• There is a reason why you have two ears and one mouth.
• Get up early and do most of your heavy lifting in the morning.
• Understand the importance of thank-you notes.
• Before you go off to college, you should know how to change a tire, write in cursive, read a map, do your laundry, use a dictionary and tell time by looking at the hands of a clock.
• Remember gravity is all those things that keep your feet on the ground.
• Never make fun of the way people look. Or where they live.
• If you tell the truth, you never will have to remember what you said.
• Keep a song in your heart. The words and melody will change, but the song should stay there.
• Recognize, appreciate and use your gifts.
• You never will have time for everything. You must learn to make time.
• The world has enough ignorant people. Don’t join the crowd.
• It is better to have it and not need it than to need it and not have it. Pack a jacket … and an umbrella.
• Try not to Google everything. You should be part archaeologist, part anthropologist. Learn to dig, collect, research and study.
• Be punctual. Arriving late is disrespectful. It sends the message that you believe your time is more important than those you kept waiting.
• Don’t be cheap. You usually get what you pay for.
• Duct tape holds the world together. WD-40 loosens it up.
• This will not be your last graduation. From now on, you have been appointed your own class president and valedictorian.

Ed Grisamore teaches journalism at Stratford Academy in Macon. His column appears on Sundays in The Telegraph.