My graduation speech!

You could always just get totally stoned and deliver a two hour manifesto on the gastronomic delights of Flamin Hot Cheetos washed down with Mountain Dew.

Oh boy...is it my imagination, or did farmerman start off here on a Slappy note? Lol...the movie Ghost World starts with a valedictorian speech. The valedictorian is is in a wheelchair due to a car accident. After wishing all her fellow students well on their post-high school journey, she adds that she is also happy to have learned that she does not need drugs or alcohol to be happy. The main character comments: "I think I liked her better when she was an alcoholic crack addict..."

Our valedictorian was a good friend of mine, and to be honest, I have no recollection of what his speech was about. So, my advice would be to compose some thoughts that are relevant to you, and your experiences, and what you hope to achieve after graduating. When you start with the personal and honest approach, you will reach others.

Or, go the existential route and pontificate for an hour about how meaningless everything is and that ultimately everyone is doomed to a life of misery. Hmm, that might be the reason I wasn't valedictorian...

Also, I totally agree with not writing it all out in full. Speeches come off way better from notes that you can improvise around. If you just read, you will come off as stilted and nervous.

oooh, mea culpa. mea culpa, mea maxima culpa.

I just took a quick look at all of vonderjohn's posts here. Not exactly a big project - as he has made a total of 11 posts so far. I wonder if English is perhaps not his first/primary language.

vonderjohn, you've seen some of the responses here, reviewing what a valedictorian is, and what the speech might contain. Have you thought about what message you'd like to leave your classmates and their families with? It might be easier to assist you, if you had a general idea of what you are hoping to express in your speech.

Good luck with it all, and don't worry too much about it. I'm another person who doesn't recall a word of what the high school or university valedictorian said. I actually can't even recall who they were. So, don't panic, think about what you'd like to express and come on back. Roberta is a fine editor, and I'm sure others here will also be able to help you make your speech that once-in-a-lifetime, memorable speech.

That's the key: most people will not remember who gave the valedictory speech and the content thereof. It's not a BIG deal, unless you make it such. It'll all be forgotten as soon as everybody stands up to leave the hall - even your name. c.i.

BTW, The only valedictory speech I remember is the one my brother gave in high school. I wasn't even there! I've not remembered my own graduation from high school or college. That should give you a clue. c.i.

Thanks to all for offering some sage advice and words of wisdom.

Thanks to the ever-gallant Craven for leaping to my rescue.

A nun! ROFLMAO.

Farmernan - Ia thoughta youa wasa deada pussycat?

yes roberta, my nemesis, Sister Mary Attila sounded a bit like you. I had a flashback. BTW,Craven doesnt need to play hall monitor as I think you know the spirit in which our comments are delivered in (hee hee)

ehbeth-nice slap at our valedictatorian. It seems that all we done is criticized our friend and poked childish fun (of which I am very sorry at) .

patio dog has come closest to issuing actual advice , to whom we all should be grateful to.
You should all know that I tutors English. AND, I knows the mistaakes that we should be sensitive of.

The valedictorian in my High School (L.), if I remember correctly, talked about what she was going to do. She said, "I can relate to those of you who are about to go off to college or are about to start a job, because I'll be doing both." And it went from there.

L. was in a tough position because she was supposed to have graduated the following year, but applied herself and went to summer school and graduated with my class. This upset some idiots who thought another girl (P.) should have been v. (P. ended up as the salutatorian) and there were even some classmates of mine who tried to get the school to rescind awarding the actual valedictorian award to L.! So, L. had to work extra hard to give everyone a good sendoff speech. Poor kid, she shouldn't've had to go through that nonsense.

Anyway, I doubt things are like that at your school, but I would suggest something relating to the kinds of things that people will be doing. This is a crossroads in people's lives (like it or not), and usually these speeches are a way to look back at the past and also forward to the future.

Best of luck to you.

Hey, Crossroads. You can go up there and sing a little Robert Johnson.

Oh dear. Slap? Really?
I thought I was protecting vonderjohn from everyone except Roberta, who I thought was being very helpful.
Oh well. Time to get some fresh air, or something.

vonderjohn, I apologize if you thought I was being rude.

I was not being a hall monitor any more than you were. It's delightfully ironic that you talk so much about what people should and shouldn't do (e.g. not be cute etc) and still call others a "hall monitor".

You called Roberta a nun, I called you a grouch. Thing is, mine was accurate yours wasn't.

But yes, 'twas meant in the same spirit. Nothing wrong with being a grouch. Other "hall monitors" call me that all the time.

craven, sometimes you creep me out, with your sneaking around and jumping out from behind somebody elses avatar with your cyberuler.
It is so not cool.
I

Boo!

Get over it. I do not use somebody else's avatar and I do not use a cyberruler, I also don't sneak.

This site has never once done a single thing to you but you act like you are oppressed.

All I did was call you grumpy. Get over it. You can sure dish it out but you can't take anything. Now quit trying to be a hall monitor with that ruler of yours. :-)

You are delightfully ironic and delightfully consistent.

hmmm, somebody needs a nap

And you shall have it then, Farmerman, so you shall!

here is a little pillow and a rug for you.

Gee, wabbits have a heart too! c.i.