Everybody is free.

> Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of '97,
>
> Wear sunscreen. If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long term
> benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis or
> reliable then my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice....now.
>
> Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, nevermind, you won't understand the power and
> beauty of your youth until they've faded, but trust me in 20 years, you'll look back at photos of
> yourself and recall in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous
> you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
>
> Don't worry about the future, or worry, but know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra
> equation by chewing bubblegum.
>
> The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind: the kind that blindsides
> you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
>
> Do one thing every day that scares you.
>
> Sing.
>
> Don't be reckless with other people's hearts; don't put up with people who are reckless with yours.
>
> Floss.
>
> Don't waste your time on jealousy. Sometimes you're ahead, sometimes you're behind. The race is
> long, and in the end, it's only with yourself.
>
> Remember compliments you receive; forget the insults. (if you succeed in doing this, tell me how).
>
> Keep your old love letters; throw away your old bank statements.
>
> Stretch.
>
> 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.
>
> Get plenty of Calcium. Be kind to your knees -- you'll miss them when they're gone.
>
> Maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll have children, maybe you won't. Maybe you'll
> divorce at 40; maybe you'll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary.
>
> Whatever you do, don't congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself, either. Your choices are half
> chance, so are everybody else's.
>
> Enjoy your body: use it every way you can. Don't be afraid of it or what other people think of it; it's the
> greatest instrument you'll ever own.
>
> Dance...even if you have no where to do it but in your own living room.
>
> Read the directions (even if you don't follow them).
>
> Do not read beauty magazines; they will only make you feel ugly.
>
> Get to know your parents; you never know when they'll be gone for good.
>
> Be nice to your siblings: they're your best link to your past and the people most likely to stick with you in
> the future.
>
> Understand that friends come and go, but what a precious few should hold on. Work hard to bridge the gaps
> and geography and lifestyle, because the older you get, the more you need the people you knew when you
> were young.
>
> Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard.
>
> Live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
>
> Travel.
>
> Accept certain inalienable truths: prices will rise, politicians will philander, you too will get old; and when you
> do, you'll fantasize that when you were young, prices were reasonable, politicians were noble, and children
> respected their elders.
>
> Respect your elders.
>
> Don't expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund, maybe you'll have a wealthy spouse,
> but you never know when either one might run out.
>
> Don't mess too much with your hair or by the time you are 40, it will look 85.
>
> Be careful whose advice you buy, but be patient with those who supply it. Advice is a form of nostalgia;
> dispensing it is a way of wishing the past from the disposal--wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts, and
> recycling it for more than it's worth.
>
> But trust me, I'm the sunscreen.