To the County High School Class of 2012: As you sit before me, I know what most of you are thinking right now. There are those who are already thinking about what life will be like without high school; those wondering whether or not to tell your crush tonight about your whispers of adoration that you've been keeping secret for four years; some just want to get out of that ungodly chair, get that thing that isn't really a diploma but only tells you when to pick it up, and then be the first on the green bus to the grad party - you know who you are. And the others, well, the others don't even pay attention, you think, "Great, here's one of the valedictorians." Next: a boring speech straight from the pits of scientific hell. And that’s okay, it doesn’t bother me – this sort of thing comes with the territory. But tonight, I ask you to give me a chance to break that stereotype so that I can address you in all the splendor you deserve after 13 years of grueling work. I don't want to be known as your "valedictorian" as I stand here, come on guys, there's no time left to put labels on people, instead I ask you to accept me as one of your peers – and as a man who will enjoy graduating alongside you. Over the last three days I have gone through two versions of this speech, one dealing with the future and the other with the past. I had the usual "we're entering a new chapter in our lives" spiel, and then, because everyone was pressuring me to "make it funny", I followed that up with some witticisms about flatulence and going to prison; then go to prison for flatulence; and then some flatulence in prison with a guy named Red. Needless to say, I gave up on those speeches. Twenty-four ho...... middle of paper ......e which comes from the thoughtful atmosphere of the evening. Enjoy the silence while you can, because it's a bummer you didn't expect after finishing LHS. Capture silence as an aspect of taste. Remember this. Finally, take a deep breath and smile at this wonderful smell: the aroma of relief. After years of following the public school path, I invite you to embrace the liberation that comes with graduation. This sweet aroma only appears once in a lifetime. Capture it with your sense of smell. Remember this in the years to come. As our time together draws to a close, I leave LHS with no more anecdotes of wisdom or quotes about success; only the sincere hope that you have immersed yourself in the essence of the beginning. Everyone, we'll all be graduating when we leave tonight. Let's take advantage of it. Congratulations to the Lee High School class of 2006.