High School graduations are happening this weekend here in Chattanooga and it makes me remember those days in the 1980’s when life was simpler or so it seems. As you see from my yearbook picture I was just as nerdy then as I am today, minus the mustache. Do I miss the angst and pressure of those days? yes and no. I don’t miss the academic pressures but the social stuff was alright. I had friends but I found myself spending more time at home than out and about.

We all have times when we were at our best and in high school I was not the best I could be or would be. It is sad when I hear people talk about their days back then being the best of their lives as if nothing had improved or they became better versions of themselves.

For me it was my college days when I flourished. Maybe a different atmosphere and I was a little older. Graduating from high school or college for that matter means that there is a new chapter ahead in your life and you have the opportunity to do amazing things without the restrictions of youth. You become a grown up person and that is when the fun can really begin if you open your mind to it.

So to the class of 2017, you are going into an exciting time. Be willing to leave behind home for awhile and explore what is out there. Hang in there and have the time of your life ahead of you.