We are Dead. Obviously not in the typical sense, but in the sense that we are now subjected to the daily grind that is life. A life that is subjected to unwanted opinions and individuals who are ignorant to the fact that their opinions are unwanted. These individuals could be your future boss, a friend, a family member. The world that we dream in is not that of the world we live in. However, the world of our dreams, while it is believed to be out of reach for some, I believe, wholeheartedly, that is reachable for all.  

Throughout our high school career we were told to dream of what we wanted to be, but we were not given the pillow to lay our heads on. We were not told how to make these unrealistic expectations a reality; however, we were told that a good education is the key to our happiness. And maybe that is what they were telling us, when they insisted that we take the test from hell, the ACT, with the expectation in mind, that we will all get a good education. However, we all have our own expectations with the goal in mind that we will make our expectations a reality. We have completely disregarded how unrealistic our expectations are. And if we do decide to get some form of higher education, that will make our expectations a reality, and if going to college doesn’t bring us happiness, at least we will have thousands and thousands of dollars in student loan debt.

In the pursuit of our dreams, reality and fantasy will be intertwined with one another, but isn’t that what dreams are, fantasies that were brought to life by one’s reality? Dreams are seen as an escape from life, but I see them as illusions to a life I want to live. And I hope you do too. However, I must remind you that your reality may render you from reaching your goals. Reality has a way of blindsiding you with the hard truth. The truth is, in the real world, you will not always be able to support yourself, financially or emotionally, and it is okay to get help. Don’t let your pride get in the way of living your dreams.  

I understand your hesitation, but understand this, your hesitation is the real reason why you will not succeed in adulthood. While many of you will live out your lives like high school never ended,  you will regret it. While I’m not advocating that everyone here should go to college, I am advocating that everyone here should want what is best for them. Rather it be college or not, a trade or not, or the armed forces or not. By having your unrealistic expectations set the pace for your life; you are making your own reality. A reality that you will be proud of, a reality that is worth mentioning at our high school reunion.

While many of you will forget what I said to you today, I just want you to know that I’m not offended. You have parties to go to, friends to say goodbye to, and, most importantly, you have dreams or expectations to live up to. If you take anything away from this speech, let it be this: life will not always be easy, but the moments that are filled with joy and happiness will be the moments where you will be glad you had dream. The takeaway from this speech is to make a reality that was once worth dreaming about and live without regrets. And I beg of you, do not push your dreams onto any future children that you may have because they will have their own dreams and expectations.  

I hope you have sweet dreams in any future endeavor that life may present to you.