乔普林高中毕业典礼上演讲.docx
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乔普林高中毕业典礼上演讲.docx
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乔普林高中毕业典礼上演讲
RemarksbythePresidentattheJoplinHighSchoolCommencement
MissouriSouthernStateUniversity
Joplin,Missouri
8:
40P.M.CDT
THEPRESIDENT:
Thankyou. (Applause.) Thankyou,everybody. Pleasehaveaseat. AfewpeopleIwanttoacknowledge. Firstofall,youhaveanoutstandinggovernorinJayNixon,andweareproudofalltheworkthathe’sdone. IwanttoacknowledgeSenatorClaireMcCaskillwhoishere. (Applause.) RepresentativeBillyLong. (Applause.) Yourmayor,MelodeeColbertKean. (Applause.) Somebodywhodoesn'tgetalotofattentionbutdoesamazingworkallacrossthecountry,includinghereinJoplin,theheadofFEMA,theadministrator,CraigFugate,whospentanawfullotoftimeherehelpingtorebuild. (Applause.)
SuperintendentHuff. (Applause.) PrincipalSachetta. (Applause.) Tothefaculty,theparents,thefamily,friends,thepeopleofJoplin,andmostofalltheclassof2012. (Applause.) Congratulationsonyourgraduation,andthankyouforallowingmethehonorofplayingasmallpartinthisspecialday.
Now,thejobofacommencementspeakerprimarilyistokeepitshort. Chloe,they’vegivenmemorethantwominutes. (Laughter.) Buttheotherjobistoinspire. ButasIlookoutatthisclass,andacrossthiscity,what’sclearisthatyou’rethesourceofinspirationtoday. Tome. Tothisstate. Tothiscountry. Andtopeopleallovertheworld.
Lastyear,theroadthatledyouheretookaturnthatnoonecould’veimagined. JusthoursaftertheClassof2011walkedacrossthisstage,themostpowerfultornadoinsixdecadestoreapathofdevastationthroughJoplinthatwasnearlyamilewideand13long. Injust32minutes,ittookthousandsofhomes,andhundredsofbusinesses,and161ofyourneighbors,friendsandfamily. IttookaclassmateWillNorton,whohadjustleftthisauditoriumwithadiplomainhishand. IttookLantzHare,whoshould’vereceivedhisdiplomanextyear.
Bynow,Iexpectthatmostofyouhaveprobablyrelivedthose32minutesagainandagain. Whereyouwere. Whatyousaw. Whenyouknewforsurethatitwasover. Thefirstcontact,thefirstphonecallyouhadwithsomebodyyouloved,thefirstdaythatyouwokeupinaworldthatwouldneverbethesame.
Andyet,thestoryofJoplinisn’tjustwhathappenedthatday. It’sthestoryofwhathappenedthenextday. Andthedayafterthat. Andallthedaysandweeksandmonthsthatfollowed. Asyourcitymanager,MarkRohr,hassaid,thepeopleherechosetodefinethetragedy“notbywhathappenedtous,butbyhowweresponded.”
Classof2012,thatstoryisyours. It’spartofyounow. Asothershavementioned,you’vehadtogrowupquicklyoverthelastyear. You’velearnedatayoungeragethanmostofusthatwecan’talwayspredictwhatlifehasinstore. Nomatterhowwemighttrytoavoidit,lifesurelycanbringsomeheartache,andlifeinvolvesstruggle. Andatsomepointlifewillbringloss.
ButhereinJoplin,you’vealsolearnedthatwehavethepowertogrowfromtheseexperiences. Wecandefineourlivesnotbywhathappenstous,butbyhowwerespond. Wecanchoosetocarryon. Wecanchoosetomakeadifferenceintheworld. Andindoingso,wecanmaketruewhat’swritteninScripture-–that“tribulationproducesperseverance,andperseverance,character,andcharacter,hope.”
Ofallthat’scomefromthistragedy,letthisbethecentrallessonthatguidesus,letitbethelessonthatsustainsyouthroughwhateverchallengeslieahead.
Asyoubeginthenextstageinyourjourney,whereveryou’regoing,whateveryou’redoing,it’ssafetosayyouwillencountergreedandselfishness,andignoranceandcruelty,sometimesjustbadluck. You’llmeetpeoplewhotrytobuildthemselvesupbytearingothersdown. You’llmeetpeoplewhobelievethatlookingafterothersisonlyforsuckers.
Butyou’refromJoplin. Soyouwillremember,youwillknow,justhowmanypeopletherearewhoseelifedifferently;thosewhoareguidedbykindnessandgenerosityandquietservice.
You’llrememberthatinatownof50,000people,nearly50,000morecameintohelptheweeksafterthetornado-–perfectstrangerswho’venevermetyouanddidn'taskforanythinginreturn.
OneofthemwasMarkCarr,whodrove600milesfromRockyFord,Coloradowithacoupleofchainsawsandhisthreelittlechildren. OnemantraveledallthewayfromJapan,becauseherememberedthatAmericanswerethereforhiscountryafterlastyear’stsunami,andhewantedthechance,hesaid,“topayitforward.” TherewereAmeriCorpsvolunteerswhohavechosentoleavetheirhomesandstayhereinJoplintilltheworkisdone.
AndthentherewasthedaythatMizzou’sfootballteamrolledintotownwithan18-wheelerfullofdonatedsupplies. Andofallplaces,theywereassignedtohelpoutonKansasAvenue. (Laughterandapplause.) Idon'tknowwhosetthatup. (Laughter.) Andwhiletheyhauledawaywashingmachinesandrefrigeratorsfromthedebris,theymetawomannamedCarolMann,whohadjustlostthehouseshelivedinfor18years. AndCaroldidn'thavealot. Sheworkspart-timeatMcDonald’s. Shestruggleswithseizures,andshetoldtheplayersthatshehadevenlostthechangepursethatheldherlunchmoney. Sooneofthem,oneoftheplayers,wentbacktothehouse,dugthroughtherubble,andreturnedwiththepursewith$5inside.
AsCarol’ssistersaid,“Somuchofthenewsthatyouhearissonegative. Buttheseboysrenewedmyfaiththattherearesomanygoodpeopleintheworld.”
That’swhatyou’llremember. Becauseyou’refromJoplin.
YouwillrememberthehalfmilliondollardonationthatcamefromAngelinaJolieandsomeup-and-comingactornamedBradPitt. (Laughter.) Butyou’llalsorememberthe$360thatwasdeliveredbyanine-year-oldboywhoorganizedhisowncarwash. You’llremembertheschoolsuppliesdonatedbyyourneighboringtowns,butmaybeyou’llalsorememberthebrandnewlaptopsthatweresentfromtheUnitedArabEmirates-–atinycountryontheothersideoftheworld.
Whenitcametimeforyourprom,make-upartistMelissaBlaytonorganizedaneffortthatcollectedovera1,000donatedpromdresses,FedExkickedinforthecorsages,andJoplin’sownLizEaston,whohadlostherhomeandherbakeryinthetornado,madeahundred--or1,500cupcakesfortheoccasion. Theyweregoodcupcakes. (Laughter.)
Therearesomanygoodpeopleintheworld. Thereissuchadecency,abignessofspirit,inthiscountryofours. Andso,Classof2012,you’vegottorememberthat. Rememberwhatpeopledidhere. AndlikethatmanwhocameallthewayfromJapantoJoplin,makesureinyourownlifethatyoupayitforward.
Now,justasyou’velearnedthegoodnessofpeople,you’vealsolearnedthepowerofcommunity. Andyou’veheardfromsomeoftheotherspeakershowpowerfulthatis. Andasyoutakeontherolesofco-workerandbusinessowner--neighbor,citizen--you’llencounterallkindsofdivisionsbetweengroups,divisionsofraceandreligionandideology. You’llmeetpeoplewholiketodisagreejustforthesakeofbeingdisagreeable. (Laughter.) You’llmeetpeoplewhoprefertoplayuptheirdifferencesinsteadoffocusingonwhattheyhaveincommon,wheretheycancooperate.
Butyou’refromJoplin. Soyouwillalwaysknowthatit’salwayspossibleforacommunitytocometogetherwhenitmattersmost. Afterall,alotofyoucould’vespentyoursenioryearscatteredthroughoutdifferentschools,farfromhome. ButDr.Huffaskedeverybodytopitchinsothatschoolstartedontime,righthereinJoplin. Heunderstoodthepowerofthiscommunity,andheunderstoodthepowerofplace.
Sotheseteachersworkedextrahours;coachesputinextratime. Thatmallwasturnedintoaclassroom. Thefoodcourtbecameacafeteria,whichmaybesomeofyouthoughtwasanimprovement. (Laughter.) And,yes,thearrangementsmighthavebeenalittlenoisyandalittleimprovised,butyouhunkereddown. Youmadeitworktogether. Youmadeitworktogether.
That’sthepowerofcommunity. Together,youdecidedthatthiscitywasn’tabouttospendthenextyeararguingovereverydetailoftherecoveryeffort. Attheveryfirstmeeting,thefirsttownmeeting,everycitizenwashandedaPost-ItnoteandaskedtowritedowntheirgoalsandtheirhopesforJoplin’sfuture. Andmorethanathousandnotescoveredanentirewallandbecametheblueprintthatarchitectsarefollowingtothisday. I’mthinkingabouttryingthiswithCongress,givethemsomePost-Itnotes. (Laughterandapplause.)
Together,thebusinessesthatweredestroyedinthetornadodecidedthattheyweren’tabouttowalkawayfromthecommunitythatmadetheirsuccesspossible--evenifitwould’vebeeneasier,evenifitwould’vebeenmoreprofitabletogosomeplaceelse. Andsotoday,morethanhalfthestoresthatweredamagedontheRangeLineareupandrunningagain. Elevenmoreareplanningtojointhem. Andeverytimeacompanyreopensitsdoors,peoplecheerthecuttingofaribbonthatbearsthetown’snewslogan:
“Remember,rejoice,andrebuild.” That’scommunity.
I’vebeentold,Classof2012,thatbeforethetornado,manyofyoucouldn’twaittoleavehereoncehighschoolwasfinallyover. SoStudentCouncilPresidentJuliaLewis--whereisJulia?
She’southeresomewhere. (Laughter.) Sheistooembarrassedtoraiseherhand. I’mquotingyou,Julia. Shesaid,“WeneverthoughtJoplinwasanythingspecial”--nowthat’stypicalwithteenagers. Theydon’tthinktheirparentsareallthatspecialeither--(laughter)--“butseeinghowwerespondedtosomethingthattoreourcommunityaparthasbroughtustogether. Everyonehasa
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