Commencement Address at Wellesley College.doc

演讲稿 commencement address at wellesley college barbarapiercebush:commencementaddressatwellesleycollegethankyou.thankyou,verymuch.thankyouvery,verymuch,presidentkeohane.mrs.gorbachev,trustees,faculty,parents,andishouldsay,juliaporter,classpresident,andcertainlymynewbestfriend,christinebicknell-and,ofcourse,theclassof1990.iamreallythrilledtobeheretoday,andveryexcited,asiknowyouallmustbe,thatmrs.gorbachevcouldjoinus.theseareexcitingtimes.theyreexcitinginwashington,andihavereallylookedforwardtoingtowellesley.ithoughtitwasgoingtobefun.ineverdreamtitwouldbethismuchfun.so,thankyouforthat.morethantenyearsago,wheniwasinvitedheretotalkaboutourexperiencesinthepeoplesrepublicofchina,iwasstruckbyboththenaturalbeautyofyourcampusandthespiritofthisplace.wellesley,yousee,isnotjustaplacebutanidea-anexperimentinexcellenceinwhichdiversityisnotjusttolerated,butisembraced.theessenceofthisspiritwascapturedinamovingspeechabouttolerancegivenlastyearbyastudentbodypresidentofoneofyoursistercolleges.sherelatedthestorybyrobertfulghumaboutayoungpastor,findinghimselfinchargeofsomeveryenergeticchildren,hitsuponagamecalledgiants,wizards,anddwarfs.youhavetodecidenow,thepastorinstructedthechildren,whichyouare-agiant,awizardoradwarf?atthat,asmallgirltuggingathispantsleg,asked,butwheredothemermaidsstand?andthepastortellshertherearenomermaids.andshesays,ohyesthereare.iamamermaid.nowthislittlegirlknewwhatshewas,andshewasnotabouttogiveuponeitherheridentity,orthegame.sheintendedtotakeherplacewherevermermaidsfitintotheschemeofthings.wheredothemermaidsstand?allofthosewhoaredifferent,thosewhodonotfittheboxesandthepigeonholes?answerthatquestion,wrotefulghum,andyoucanbuildaschool,anation,orawholeworld.asthatverywiseyoungwomansaid,diversity,likeanythingworthhaving,requireseffort.efforttolearnaboutandrespectdifference,tobepassionatewithoneanother,tocherishourownidentity,andtoacceptunconditionallythesameinothers.youshouldallbeveryproudthatthisisthewellesleyspirit.nowiknowyourfirstchoicetodaywasalicewalker-guesshowiknow!-knownforthecolorpurple.insteadyougotme-knownforthecolorofmyhair!alicewalkersbookhasaspecialresonancehere.atwellesley,eachclassisknownbyaspecialcolor.forfouryearstheclassof90haswornthecolorpurple.todayyoumeetonseverancegreentosaygoodbyetoallofthat,tobeginanewandverypersonaljourney,tosearchforyourowntruecolors.intheworldthatawaitsyou,beyondtheshoresoflakewaban,noonecansaywhatyourtruecolorswillbe.butthisidoknow:youhaveafirstclasseducationfromafirstclassschool.andsoyouneednot,probablycannot,liveapaint-by-numberslife.decisionsarenotirrevocable.choicesdoeback.andasyousetofffromwellesley,ihopethatmanyofyouwillconsidermakingthreeveryspecialchoices.thefirstistobelieveinsomethinglargerthanyourself,togetinvolvedinsomeofthebigideasofourtime.ichoseliteracybecauseihonestlybelievethatifmorepeoplecouldread,writeandprehend,wewouldbethatmuchclosertosolvingsomanyoftheproblemsthatplagueournationandoursociety.andearlyonimadeanotherchoicewhichihopeyoullmakeaswell.whetheryouaretalkingabouteducation,career,orservice,youretalkingaboutlife-andlifereallymusthavejoy.itssupposedtobefun!oneofthereasonsimadethemostimportantdecisionofmylife,tomarrygeorgebush,isbecausehemademelaugh.itstrue,sometimeswevelaughedthroughourtears.butthatsharedlaughterhasbeenoneofourstrongestbonds.findthejoyinlife,becauseasferrisbuellersaidonhisdayoff,lifemovesprettyfast;andyadontstopandlookaroundonceinawhile,yagonnamissit!(iamnotgoingtotellgeorgeyaclappedmoreforferristhanyaclappedforgeorge.)thethirdchoicethatmustnotbemissedistocherishyourhumanconnections:yourrelationshipswithfamilyandfriends.forseveralyears,youvehadimpresseduponyoutheimportancetoyourcareerofdedicationandhardwork.and,ofcourse,thatstrue.butasimportantasyourobligationsasadoctor,alawyer,abusinessleaderwillbe,youareahumanbeingfirst.andthosehumanconnections-withspouses,withchildren,withfriends-arethemostimportantinvestmentsyouwillevermake.attheendofyourlife,youwillneverregretnothavingpassedonemoretest,winningonemoreverdict,ornotclosingonemoredeal.youwillregrettimenotspentwithahusband,achild,afriendoraparent.weareinatransitionalperiodrightnow,fascinatingandexhilaratingtimes,learningtoadjusttochangesandthechoiceswe,menandwomen,arefacing.asanexample,irememberwhatafriendsaid,onhearingherhusbandplaintohisbuddiesthathehadtobabysit.quicklysettinghimstraight,myfriendtoldherhusbandthatwhenitsyourownkids,itsnotcalledbabysitting.now,maybeweshouldadjustfaster;maybeweshouldadjustslower.butwhatevertheerawhateverthetimes,onethingwillneverchange:fathersandmothers,ifyouhavechildren,theymustefirst.youmustreadtoyourchildren.andyoumusthugyourchildren.andyoumustloveyourchildren.yoursuccessasafamily,oursuccessasasociety,dependsnotonwhathappensinthewhitehouse,butonwhathappensinsideyourhouse.foroverfiftyyears,itwassaidthatthewinnerofwellesleysannualhoopracewouldbethefirsttogetmarried.nowtheysay,thewinnerwillbethefirsttobeeac.e.o.bothofthosestereotypesshowtoolittletoleranceforthosewhowanttoknowwherethemermaidsstand.soiwanttoofferanewlegend:thewinnerofthehoopracewillbethefirsttorealizeherdream-notsocietysdreams-herownpersonaldream.andwhoknows?somewhereoutinthisaudiencemayevenbesomeonewhowillonedayfollowinmyfootsteps,andpresideoverthewhitehouseasthepresidentsspouse.iwishhim