Ladies and Gentlemen

of the class

of Ninety Nine

Wear Sunscreen

If I could offer you

one tip for the future

sunscreen would be it

The long term

benefits of sunscreen

have been proved

by scientists

where the rest

of my advice has

no basis more reliable

than my own

meandering experience

I will dispense

this advice, now

Enjoy the power

and beauty of your youth

or nevermind you will

not understand

the power and beauty

of your youth

until they've faded

But trust me

in Twenty years

you’ll look back

at photos of yourself

and recall in a way

you can’t grasp now

how much possibility

lay before

you and how fabulous

you really looked

You are not as fat

as you imagine

Don’t worry about the future

or worry, but know

that worrying is as effective

as trying to solve

an algebra equation

by chewing gum

The real troubles

in your life

are apt to be things

that never crossed

your worried mind

the kind that blindside

you at Four P M

on some idle Tuesday

Do one thing everyday

that scares you, sing

Don’t be reckless

with other people’s hearts

don’t put up with people

who are reckless with yours

Floss don’t waste

your time on jealousy

sometimes you’re ahead

sometimes you’re behind

the race is long

and in the end

it’s only with yourself

Remember the compliments

you receive, forget the insults

if you succeed

in doing this, tell me how

Keep your old love letters

throw away your

old bank statements

Don’t feel guilty

if you don’t know

what you want to do

with your life

the most interesting people

I know didn’t know

at Twenty Two

what they wanted to do

with their lives

some of the most

interesting Fourty year olds

I know still don’t

Get plenty of calcium

Be kind to your knees

you’ll miss them

when they’re gone

Maybe you’ll marry

maybe you won’t

maybe you’ll

have children

maybe you won’t

maybe you’ll

divorce at Fourty

maybe you’ll dance

the funky chicken

on your Seventy fifth

wedding anniversary

what ever you do

don’t congratulate

yourself too much

or berate yourself either

your choices

are half chance

so are everybody else’s

Enjoy your body

use it every way you can

don’t be afraid of it

or what other

people think of it

it’s the greatest

instrument you’ll ever own

Dance even if you

have nowhere to do it

but your living room

Read the directions

even if you

don’t follow them

Do not read

beauty magazines

they will only make

you feel ugly

Get to know

your parents

you never know

when they’ll be

gone for good

Be nice to your siblings

they're your best link

to your past

and the people most

likely to stick

with you in the future

Understand that friends

come and go

but with a precious few

you should hold on

Work hard

to bridge the gaps

in geography and lifestyle

because the older you get

the more you need

the people you knew

when you were young

Live in New York City once

but leave before

it makes you hard

live in Northern

California once

but leave before

it makes you soft

Travel accept certain

inalienable truths

prices will rise

politicians will philander

you too will get old

and when you do

you’ll fantasize

that when you were young

prices were reasonable

politicians were noble

and children

respected their elders

Respect your elders

Don’t expect

anyone else

to support you

Maybe you have

a trust fund

maybe you'll have

a wealthy spouse

but you never know

when either one

might run out

Don’t mess too much

with your hair

or by the time

you're Fourty

it will look Eighty Five

Be careful whose

advice you buy

but, be patient

with those who supply it

Advice is a form of nostalgia

dispensing it is a way

of fishing the past

from the disposal

wiping it off, painting

over the ugly parts

and recycling it

for more than it’s worth

But trust me

on the sunscreen