Congratulations to the Class of 2024 | SCT Online - Scott County Times

There are some very happy young men and women in Scott County this week and some equally depressed, yet proud, mommas and poppas. Graduation has come and gone and our seniors have walked. 

They have walked not only across the stage to receive their diplomas, but many of them are walking away from home and into the future. Been there, watched that back in 2011, when daughter, Rachel-Johanna, graduated high school and headed to Mississippi State. I’ll be the first to admit that day arrived much too quickly for my taste.

It has been 45 years this month since me and my Class of 1979 walked across the stage on Morgan Field in Newton and into our future. We danced the night away and headed down the highway bright and early the next morning for Panama City, Florida. Seems everyone went to Panama City, Florida after graduation in the ‘70s.  

We spent a week at the “luxurious” Barney Gray Motel right on beach. Out the door and into the sand every morning we went. We had the time of our lives and I hope that is the way it is for today’s graduating class. Not the Barney Gray — for those that know not, there was nothing “luxurious” about it at all — but the time of your life part.

It is after high school that we really begin to learn the lessons of life, I suppose. With that in mind I’d like to offer up my annual list of a few things that might help today’s seniors feel as lucky as this 63-year-old high school and college graduate does today. Some of it I’ve shared before some of it, maybe not.

To start with, enjoy your life and never forget how to laugh. Laughter truely is the best medicine.

Remember that college is very important. More so today than ever before. That first semester can be kind of tricky if you’re trying to keep up with your studies and with your social life. I think I did it backwards and tried to keep up with the social life a little too much  and spent the rest of my college career playing  catch up with those studies. But catch up I did. Survived and thrived you might say!

Do socialize in college though. You’ll meet friends for life, maybe even a spouse. I did and 43 years later she is still right here by my side. Fifty percent of the population — maybe more — can’t say the same thing. Some of those fine folks wife, Danny, and I met in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s are just as close to us today — if not closer I dare say — than ever before.

Get to know your professors and advisors. Don’t just sit in class, take notes, and listen. Get involved. Those people can be very influential when you start looking for a job post-graduation. My advisor put me on the trail of my first newspaper job and I’ve been in the same business, with the same company, for 40 years. That could be the “thrive” part.

Go ahead and accept the fact that you are going to have to take some classes that you aren’t going to like very much. Like Philosophy for example. It used to be required for so many different majors and I have no idea why. Hopefully that has changed.

When you do finish college find a job you like and stick with it. More and more today we are seeing young people coming out of school with a poor work ethic. The pandemic didn’t help with that either. No one owes you a paycheck until you’ve done the work required to receive it. So work hard and you will reap the rewards. Job hopping and playing around won’t get you very far in my book and entitlement is not a real thing!

If college is not your cup of tea, that is perfectly fine too. Learn a trade, we need skilled tradesmen and women now more than ever. Work hard at it and it will work for you.

Eventually get married to a wonderful girl or guy and make a life together. Be friends. Get to know each other and enjoy some time with each other before starting a family. It is perfectly fine for your child’s friends’ parents to be young enough to be your own children. Believe me, it is perfectly fine. Also laugh with that spouse every single day. Every single one. Have fun! Laugh some more! You’ll be glad you did.

Keep up with current events but don’t just watch television all the time and certainly don’t believe everything you see on the internet. There are beautiful things outside to see, things to touch, and feel, and ­­­­smell. Spend some time with nature.

Read the newspaper in your town. You never know when it might go away for good. Complain about it as much as you like, but read it. Write letters to the editor. Subscribe to that newspaper. If you end up living in Scott County that would be us, and we’ll be happy to start you up. I’ve always said a town without a newspaper is a town without a soul, and unfortunately a good many towns have lost their souls over the last several years. Let’s hope we are not next on that list.

And last, for now, but not least, don’t think you have to move out of Mississippi to make a name for yourself. There are plenty of us that were born here, reared here, and are still living here, that are proud to call this great state home. We would love to have you in our ranks.

For now though, for the summer of 2024, enjoy yourself. You’ve got your whole life ahead of you. Congrats!

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Congratulations to the Class of 2024 | SCT Online - Scott County Times
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