WESTMINSTER — I would like to tell you all a story that is probably unlike any that you have ever heard: the story of a high school graduate - me - told through my wallet.
My wallet isn't like any other. It's more than just a flap of tired, fake leather with a couple of dollars in it.
In fact, it is more of a time capsule, containing paper-thin keepsakes from my many adventures throughout my years as a student, with zero dollars in it.
Call me strange, but my wallet is more likely to contain a dental-care business card that I picked up off the streets in Boston than a $5 bill. I mean, how else am I going to remember my trip to see Football at Fenway?
The contents of my wallet are more than just trash that I refuse to throw away. They are the physical embodiments of my memories and experiences, and occasionally I like to reflect on the lessons I've learned from them.
So I'd like to take you on a trip down memory lane through my wallet.
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Look at this: a PRO-ticket from my years in elementary school! For those of you who might not be familiar with PRO-tickets, they were our quaint little rewards system that would be used to acknowledge our good behavior, something that is hard to come by among the class of 2012.
This particular PRO-ticket was granted to me on behalf of my “good listening,” and that brings us to our first life lesson.
Not all of us actually have come to fully appreciate the value of listening. Fortunately, I think I have. I've come to realize that only by listening can we learn from others. There will always be a time to prove we're right later.
Even if it absolutely tears us up to have to listen to someone ramble on with their opinions that we couldn't feel are more misguided, we must listen. Through forcing ourselves to consider the thoughts of others, we become more aware of what our own beliefs are, and we come to understand differing perspectives that contribute to our knowledge of the world. If nothing else, listening to others at least allows us to keep up on the latest gossip.
The next item in my wallet is a school ID. What's most intriguing about this one is that it isn't mine. It belongs to Marcos Gallegos, a sophomore.
Now, what could possibly be the lesson that Marcos's school ID contains? Well, it is a lesson that I sure am glad I have learned: Anyone can be your friend; you just need to give them a chance.
Before high school, I didn't really know Marcos, and we had hardly ever talked; but after one day after school, he and I sat down together in the cafeteria and shared an hour-long conversation on the weirdness of koalas.
I wouldn't say Marcos and I became best friends after that day, but we certainly have had a great many conversations that might not have happened had I not sat down with him on that one fateful afternoon.
Of course, I could have told this story about many of my other fellow students whose friendship I discovered simply by sitting down and having a conversation, or stepping out of my comfort zone and taking part in an activity I had never experienced before.
This lesson, that friends can be found even in the most unusual of places, has served me well, and can guide us all in the future.
* * *
Now, how about my driver's license, the ultimate indicator of total teenage liberty! Once this sacred card was obtained, I finally possessed the freedom to see the world and go as far as I wanted - or at least as far as I could before I needed to come crawling back to my parents for gas money.
Of course, I do desire the freedom to be able to go wherever I want and drive and drive and just leave everything behind.
But even if I had such independence, why would I use it? Why would I want to leave behind my parents, my teachers, and this community, who have all played such an important role in helping me to grow?
I'm sure all of our lives will take us away from here, some of us farther than others. But even when we're not physically still in Bellows Falls, Saxtons River, Westminster, or wherever our journeys began, we must always be sure to hold them somewhere in our hearts.
We ought never forget the four long years we spent in the halls, classrooms, and playing fields of BFUHS. No matter where our individual adventures lead us, we must always maintain an appreciation for the individuals who have given their time to allow us to develop into the young men and women we are today. Whether they are our parents, teachers, coaches or other inspiring figures, we must never forget them.
Now that I have shared with you all some of the lessons I keep with me, I would like to encourage you to do the same. Even if you don't wish to keep a bunch of stuff in your left pocket as I do, it is vital that we reflect on the moments that have changed our lives: conversations and adventures shared with friends, moments that made our parents proud, and all the times where we laughed until we cried and cried until we laughed.
It is through remembering what we have been through that we learn our most important lessons in life. So whether you tuck them away in your wallet - or just in your heart - be sure to hold on to your stories.
I look forward to hearing them.