OF ADVICE WITH YOU.
>> HELLO, AND CONGRATULATIONS ALL THE STUDENTS IN ALL THE HI SCHOOLS IN THE GRADUATING CLASS OF 2020 HERE IN NEW HAMPSHIR
MY NAME IS DEAN KAMEN.
DON’T KNOW MOST OF YOU, AND I’M SURE MOST OF YOU DON’T KNOW ME, BUT I WAS ASKED TO TRY TO COME UP WITH A MESSAGE AT A TIME TH SEEMED MAYBE A LITTLE SERIOUSL DOWN, WHICH WOULD HELP MAKE THIS
PARTICULAR GRADUATION SEASON A LITTLE BIT BET HERE I AM IN MY OWN SHOP IN MY HOUSE.
LIKE ALL OF YOU, I’VE BEEN KEEPING MY SOCIAL DISTANCE.
I’M NOT COMPLAINING, IT’S A BEAUTIFUL SHOP, AND I CHOSE TO DO THIS VIDEO STANDING NEXT TO ONE OF THE CLOCKS I MAKE THAT IF YOU’RE INVOLVED IN FIRST IN AN WAY, YOU HAVE SEEN THESE.
EACH YEA I MAKE ONE TO BE THE PRIZE FOR THE WINNING FIRST TEAM THEY ALL HAVE THE SAME GEARING, BUT THI CLOCK IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT.
I STARTED MAKING A CLOCK THAT ACTUALLY THAT SECOND HAND, MINUTE HAND, THE WHOLE CLOCK IS RUNNING THREE TIMES FASTER THAN ANY CLOCK YOU’D USE. BUT THE REASON IT KEEPS PERFECT TIME IS
IT SPENDS 40 SECONDS, TWO THIRDS OF ITS TIME GOING FORWARD, TWO MINUTES AND 40 SECONDS, BUT IT GOES BACK ONE STEP IN 20 SECONDS EVERY MINUTE.
WHY YOU MIGHT ASK DID I DO THAT AND WHY IS IT RELEVANT THIS TIME?
I SPENT MY WHOLE LIFE WITH PEOPLE TELLING ME "I’M TRYING TO DO TOO MANY THINGS, I’M TRYING TO WORK ON TOO MANY THINGS, AND FOR EVERY TWO STEPS FORWARD I’M TAKING ONE STEP BACKWARD."
I’M SURE YOU’VE ALL HEARD THAT PHRASE, AND IT’S TRUE. I MAKE A LOT MORE MISTAKES THAN MOST OF THE PEOPLE I KNOW BECAUSE I’ TRYING TO DO A LOT OF THINGS AND I HAVE A SENSE OF URGENCY ABOU
DOING THEM ALL FAST.
BUT I FINALLY STARTED TO TAK THAT OLD STATEMENT, FOR EVERY TWO STEPS FORWARD YOU TAKE O STEP BACK, AND TURN THAT LEMON INTO LEMONADE, AND THAT’S THE ADVICE I’D TO GIVE ALL OF YOU
TODAY.
MATHEMATICALLY, PLUS TWO, MINUS ONE AND MINUS ONE PLUS TWO A THE SAME.
SO I’D LIKE TO TELL ALL OF YOU FOR EVERY STEP THAT WE ALL TAKE BACKWARD, AND THIS CORONAVIR IS A BIG STEP BACKWARD, IF WE TAKE TWO STEPS FORWARD, WE’ STAY SYNCHRONIZED WITH THE
WORLD.
WE’LL GET THREE TIMES AS MUCH EXPERIENCE.
WE’LL LEARN FROM MISTAKES AND WE’LL MOVE ON, AS LONG WE STAY POSITIVE, AS LONG AS WE’RE OPTIMISTIC, AS LONG AS WE CONTINUE TO COMMUNICATE AND COOPERATE.
I KNOW IT MAY SEEM VERY HA RIGHT NOW AND DISAPPOINTING TH YOU DON’T GET TO DO THE OFFICIAL GRADUATION, BUT I THINK WHEN YOU LOOK BACK AT THIS GRADUATION VERSUS MOST PEOPLE THAT GET TO
LOOK BACK AT THEIRS, YOURS WILL BE VERY MEMORABLE.
I’D ALSO LIKE TO POINT OUT MAY ON THE LIGHTER SIDE, THAT REALISTICALLY, YOU STUDENTS SHOULDN’T FEEL LIKE YOU’VE LOS A LOT.
YOU GOT THE IMPORTANT PART -- THE EDUCATION.
YOU ARE GRADUATING.
YOU’RE MOVING ON IN LIFE, WHETHER IT’S TO A CAREER OR TO COLLEGE.
THE GRADUATION, LET’S BE CLEAR, WAS REALLY MOSTLY ABOUT YOUR PARENTS AND YOUR GRANDPARENTS.
THINK ABOUT IT.
FROM THE TIME YOU WERE A LITTLE KID, THEY LIKED TO DRESS YOU UP IN STILLY OUTFITS AND PUT SILLY BIRTHDAY HATS ON YOU -- THAT IS WHAT PARENTS DO.
AND THE ULTIMATE VERSION OF THAT IS YOU GROW UP, YOU’RE ABOUT TO BECOME THE NEXT GENERATIONAL LEADERS.
THEY LIKE TO DRESS YOU UP IN A SILLY CAP AND A SILLY GOWN AND BE VERY PROUD OF YOU.
THEY’RE GOING TO MISS THE OPPORTUNITY TO HAVE THAT GREAT EVENT.
TAKE CARE OF THEM, BUT REMEMBE THE IMPORTANT PART OF THIS -- THE EDUCATION YOU GOT -- THAT DIDN’T GO AWAY.
AND MAYBE MORE IMPORTANTLY, REMEMBER THAT THIS SHOULD BE A , VERY POTENT LEARNING EXPERIENCE BY WHICH WE ALL MAY REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS TO STAY FOCUSED ON SOLVING IMPORTANT
PROBLEMS AND WORKING WITH EACH OTHER, PARTICULARLY THE NEXT GENERATION OF LEADERS IS GOING TO HAVE TO BE MORE CAPABLE O MOVING MORE QUICKLY TO DEAL WITH EV MORE COMPLEX ISSUES, AND
THIS IS THE TIME TO REALLY THINK ABOUT THAT.
SO, WHATEVER YOU ARE PLANNING ON DOING, I WISH YOU A LOT OF SUCCESS.
I HOPE YOU WILL SOMEHOW STAY INVOLVED WITH FIRST AND MAYBE COME WORK WITH ME ON SOM IMPORTANT PROJECTS.
BUT TO EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU I SINCERELY CONGRATULATE YOU A I’M CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL LO BACK AT THIS PERIOD AND IT WILL BE ONE SMALL STEP BACKWARD BUT YOU ALL WILL TAKE COLLECTIVE
TO STEPS FORWARD.
CONGRA