Please Don't Fake It

Commencement isn't far off, and I find I've begun thinking what I might tell graduating seniors if I were called upon to do so. In my years as a college vice-president and president I was often called upon to do this and could always find few bits of wisdom. On a whim, I dug out some of my old speeches and found what follows - although I've edited it a bit. It still works, I think.

I've been asked to share a few hard earned wisdoms with you today - which is a good thing because I have only a few.

The first actually occurred to me after I arrived at work this morning. That is to know what expected of you before you begin any assignment - or your workday - so you can dress appropriately. Actually, I spent a chunk of my day working in my laboratory - so I’m a little dressed down as they say. Please forgive me.

The second may sound a little negative, but it isn’t intended that way. So far your life’s been good. You’ve learned a lot, and you’ve learned it very well - hence the accomplishments we’re celebrating today.

Of course, there are some things you learned before you came to us, and we can’t take credit for them.
           -Always say please and thank you.
           -Look both ways before crossing the street.
           -Not to laugh while drinking milk.

And, of course, there are lots of things you did learn while you were here at UC, and we celebrate your achievements as if they were our own.

I’m sure there are a few things you didn’t learn though - things that you should have. I expect that, being the successful students you are, you were probably able to fake it on occasion and still do well. I have noticed when I counsel students - especially good students - that sometimes they’re just afraid to admit they don’t know something and, therefore, don’t seek the help that’s needed.

In my younger years I’ve tried that faking or just getting by a few times but not with great success. It's embarrassing. Nowadays I just say "I don’t know" or "I don't understand. Help me." There is a cautionary tale that perhaps explains why you shouldn't try to fake it. You may have heard it before.

History has recorded that Christopher Columbus was stranded in Jamaica AND he needed supplies AND he knew an eclipse was to occur the next day.

He told the tribal chief, "The God who protects me will punish you unless you give me supplies. A vengeance will fall upon you, and the sun will disappear." When the eclipse darkened the sky, Columbus got all the supplies he needed.

It is also told that in the early 1900s (400 years later), an Englishman tried the same trick on a Sudanese chieftain. "If you do not follow my order," he warned, "vengeance will fall upon you, and the sun will lose its light."

The wise chief of the Sudan said, "If you are referring to the solar eclipse, that doesn’t happen until the day after tomorrow."

What’s my point? Don’t ever try to fake it. Recognize that although you’ve learned a lot, you still have a lot to learn. Recognize also that you will eventually learn all that you need and that the world is full of wonderful teachers.

When you will encounter situations in which you need help - and you shall - just ask for it. It’s there and there for a reason. Also, take these wonderful intellectual skills that got you this far and continue to make a difference in your own life and in the lives of others.

TGB   

The Sound Like No Other

A man is driving down the road and breaks down near a monastery. He goes to the monastery, knocks on the door, and says, "My car broke down. Do you think I could stay the night?" The monks graciously accept him, feed him dinner, and even fix his car. As the man tries to fall asleep, he hears a strange sound - a sound like no other that he has ever heard. The next morning, he asks the monks what the sound was, but they say, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."

The man is disappointed but thanks them anyway and goes on his merry way. Some years later, the same man breaks down in front of the same monastery. The monks again accept him, feed him, and even fix his car. That night, he hears the same strange mesmerizing sound that he had heard years earlier. The next morning, he asks what the sound was, but the monks reply, "We can't tell you. You're not a monk."

The man says, "All right, all right. I'm dying to know. If the only way I can find out what that sound was is to become a monk, how do I become a monk?"

The monks reply, "You must travel the earth and tell us how many blades of grass there are and the exact number of sand pebbles. When you find these numbers, you will become a monk."

The man sets about his task. Some forty-five years later, he returns and knocks on the door of the monastery. He says, I have travelled the earth and devoted my life to the task demanded and have found what you had asked for. There are 371,145,236,284,232 blades of grass and 231,281,219,999,129,382 sand pebbles on the earth.

The monks reply, "Congratulations, you are correct and now you are a monk. We shall now show you the way to the sound." The monks lead the man to a wooden door, where the head monk says, "The sound is behind that door."

The man reaches for the knob, but the door is locked. He asks, "May I have the key?" The monks give him the key, and he opens the door. Behind the wooden door is another door made of stone. The man requests the key to the stone door.

The monks give him the key, and he opens it, only to find a door made of ruby. He demands another key from the monks, who provide it. Behind that door is another door, this one made of sapphire. And so it went until the man had gone through doors of emerald, silver, topaz, and amethyst. Finally, the monks say, "This is the key to the last door."

The man is relieved to no end. He unlocks the door, turns the knob, and behind that door he is astonished to find the source of that strange sound. It is truly an amazing and unbelievable sight, ...

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... but I can't tell you what it is because YOU are not a monk.