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
