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Everybody's Free (to wear sunscreen) Mary Schmich Chicago Tribune
Dear graduates!... Please, do wear sunscreen!
f 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 more reliable
than my own meandering experience.
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth.
Life passes either you like it or not.
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 blindside 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.
Don't forget to brush your teeth!
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,
besides, 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,
or 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 nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
And please, Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel UGLY.
Be nice to your siblings;
they are 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 for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get,
the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in Moscow City once, but leave before it makes you hard;
live in Bali once, but leave before it makes you soft.
And after all, just 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.
By the way, respect your elders, you never know when they'll be gone for good.
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're 40, it will look 85
We all will be gone someday
But it's important to hold on to the end believing in something
And it is the hardest thing
because it seems that there's nothing on Earth
that is REALLY worth believing
These are the tips, dear graduates.
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 fishing the past from the disposal,
wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.
But the fact that sunscreen does really protects your skin from burning is proved by scientists.
So, don't hesitate to use the sunscreen.
Russian version by Youlka feat. Alex Dubas Synched by Darkfly