My english teacher of two years shared this commencement address by Dr. Robert Pinsky, poet laureate in 1994, at a Concord Academy graduation ceremony with my class last fall and it's something that has stuck with me since then. Really there is nothing like watching the speech yourself (find it here!), but he urges the graduates to seek a difficulty that is worthy of them, something that pushes them to their limits but ultimately makes them better. Even Michelangelo while painting the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel lamented, "I am not a painter!" in a poem that he wrote. I cannot believe something more ardently than I believe that and hope that we all can find that in our lives. Really the difficulties I have faced in my life have been superficial ones of pleasing teachers or college admissions officers and hope that in my future I can be faced with that type of worthy difficulty that he talks about. I hope you all have that kind of experience in your lives at some point. I love you all and hope you can find a difficulty in your life that is worthy of you.
xx
