Graduation

Well I just graduated! Its a big relief to be done with High School. Don't get me wrong, Lebo High was great, but its time to move on. Anyway, while I was sitting listening to all the speeches people gave telling us to "make them proud", to "constantly work to right injustice", to "always seek to greatness", and to "leave your mark on the world" I started thinking that this is not the attitude of a servant. Most of the messages they gave us last night fueled our pride in our Leboness, and our own selfish ambitions. It just felt wrong, but I seemed to be the only one who noticed. It seemed like from this day on, everyone in my class began their journey to personal success and material wealth. And those folks up on the podium were to be the leaders of this success drive. Most of the folks in my class seemed pretty confident in their future successes, and I'm sure they'll get it, but I often wonder if they'll ever work for something bigger, if they'll ever really get it. Sure Mt. Lebanon's class of 2006 won six WPIAL titles, blew all other schools out of the water in academics, and did more charity work than any other class in recorded history, but in 5 years- or even 5 days, will any of that matter? Nope. "How quickly the glory of the world passes away!" (Thomas a Kempis). So as we begin our adult lives, I really pray that my class, or for that matter my generation, will one day understand that nothing we do in this world will mean anything without the love of God. "Vanity of vanities and all is vanity, except to love God and serve him alone" (Tom Kemp). So that brings me to now: this summer, my goal is to work on being humble/or selfless and through that, be drawn closer to God, and maybe figure out what to do with my life. Racine '06!!!

"He is truly great who has great charity. He is truly great who is little in his own eyes and makes nothing of the highest honor. He is truly wise who looks upon all earthly things as folly that he may gain Christ. He who does God's will and renounces his own is truly very learned." -Thomas a Kempis- The Imitation of Christ.