Limitless

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of ‘99:

Wear sunscreen.

If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas 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. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 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 bubble gum. The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your worried mind, the kind that blind sides you at 4 p.m. on some idle Tuesday.

Do one thing every day 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 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.

Stretch.

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 22 what they wanted to do with their lives. Some of the most interesting 40-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 40, maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary. Whatever 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 of 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 who knew you 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 40 it will look 85.

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.

I feel my time it is wearing thin
Here comes a song man i hope it brings a little
Joy to your life cause these words i write
Go out to young and old every man and wife
I come before you with a little token of
My gratitude speaking words unspoken
Positive thoughts about a life so very
Complicated when you’re temporary

This ain’t a lesson on how you should be livin’
How to make a dollar or get all the women
This is a melody for all my friends and family
A word of thanks for all the loving that they’ve giving to me
I’m letting you know i feel the same way
It’s your lovin’ that could get me through the worst day
Well you can crank up the music and be well supplied
But a party ain’t a party till your friends arrive yeah
So find a friend put your arm round their shoulder
Grab a girl and hold her…we’re getting older
Let’s go ahead and laugh at all of our mistakes
Damn its good to see your face just

One more time for old times sake
I’ll always give you my…my hand to shake

Let’s have conversations bout the past thinking when was the
Last
Time we spent you know we cared less if our days went fast
Let’s reminisce about the ones we’ve kissed
And mention all the friends we both have missed
Flashback to the road trips in the summertime
Listening to sublime taking our time while the bass line
Shakes the rear view there’s no need to speed
Cause my friend with weed is a friend indeed
Partying down the beach in a hotel room
There was no need to sleep cause the sun would soon
Go on and meet us and greet us as we sat there waiting
Listening to the sounds of our young hearts breakin’

With the crashin’ waves we knew we’d go our separate ways
Times they change like stories never told the same
To all my friends old and new there’s nothing to it
Live this day like it’s your last let’s do it

Maybe my time has come
Maybe this breath i take shall be my final one
Or maybe my dying day will come when i am old and gray
But either way…i pray
Oh thank the lord thank the lord thank the lord for every day
You get
Cause your love i’ll always find in the corner of my mind
So don’t forget no don’t forget

This ain’t a lesson on how you should be livin,
how to make a dollar or get all the women,
this is a melody for all my friends and family,
a word of thanks for all the lovin that they given to me,
i’m lettin you know i feel the same way,
it’s your lovin that can get me through the worst days,
well you can crank up the music and be well supplied,
but a party ain’t a party till your friends arrive yeah,
find a friend put your arm around her shoulder,
grab a girl and hold her, we gettin older,
lets go ahead and laugh at all of our mistakes,
damn it’s good to see your face,
just one more time for old times sake

stretch3d-l0bes:

I’ve been waiting a long long time for a girl like you But I ain’t wastin any one of my days Cause I’ve got better things to do Your giving me grief But I aint no thief You seem to be the one who misunderstood Cause you keep turning your back Turning your back When things were just getting good

Baby don’t put me on your backburner

I am a citizen of the Universe. Helping to raise the vibration of love on Earth.

I don’t care about anyone, and the feeling is quite obviously mutual.