A few life lessons for our graduates

Our graduating seniors at Lovell and Rocky Mountain high schools will make that joyful walk to receive their diplomas next Monday and Tuesday, full of pride and optimism for the adventures ahead of them but also perhaps feeling a bit of anxiety with the structured life of family and school life passing behind them.

Far be it from me to give any sage advice to students 47 years younger than me, but if any of them would care to listen to an old editor who’s been around the block a few times, this is what I would tell them: three things.

Number one: Remember and value your roots. Most of you have grown up in a special place, North Big Horn County, Wyoming, surrounded by a community of people that hold strong values, look out for each other and at once foster independence but also close-knit ties to one another.

Now, you may be itching to leave skid marks in your haste to get out of this tiny, boring place, but over time you will come to appreciate – in most cases at least – the quality of life you experienced in your formative years. Believe me, what you have here is special, not perfect, of course, but a place you will come to value if you don’t already, mostly due to the quality of the people.

Number two: Read, listen and make up your own mind. Far too often, in this day and age, people find themselves banding together with other like-minded people. In a kind of tribalism, we follow and listen to folks just like us, hear only one side of issues and see those not like us as not just different but as adversaries.

This is troubling on many levels, fueled by social media algorithms that feed us more and more of the same stuff we’ve already been reading and watching as we nod our heads in agreement – yes, yes, nod, nod.

Here’s a better idea. Read widely, even material you may not agree with or is difficult. Listen to a great variety of voices, and when you disagree, think, engage and discuss rather than retreating safely back into your comfortable cocoon. These are the years when you expand your range of knowledge and experiences, and if you hold true to the values you grew up with, you should be able to both experience new things and new ideas and also stay true to yourself.

We live in a world rich with interesting people and incredible places, and now is the time to explore. I’ve never understood why diversity has become such a terrible thing inasmuch as we live in the great melting pot that is the USA. Don’t fear new people and new ideas. Embrace them. Don’t get me wrong. I’m as guilty as anybody at settling into my comfort zone. I’m just saying now is the time to reach outward.

Number three: Be kind. We live in an increasingly angry society where rage has become the norm. From sports to politics, we rage against opponents, often via our keyboard, and the norm is to act tough.

But let me tell you something important. In 25 years people won’t remember whether you were student council president, team captain or whether you or somebody else hit the game-winning shot. What they will remember is how you treated them.

In my own life, my daughter, Danielle, came out of high school with many accolades and achievements, from valedictorian to prom queen. But the aspect of her that makes me truly proud is that she is kind, always has been. That means more to me than all of the honors, though I value her successes. Her husband, Mitch, is the same way.

It may pay dividends to be the mean girl or the tough guy in the short term, but how you treat others will be long remembered.

There you have it, the life lessons from an old dude. Put them in your back pocket along with the really important ones like be nice to your mother and wear clean underwear in case you get in a car wreck.

Best wishes to the Class of 2025.