This post was contributed by a community member. The views expressed here are the author's own.

Community Corner

Everything I Need To Know I Learned From The Lorax

Life lessons from the good doctor

More than a decade ago, my wife and I were accompanying some family friends on a tour through the Museum of Natural History. Their young son stared in wonder at the enormous skeletons of long-extinct dinosaurs, but took special interest in the fossils on display. When he asked about them, another friend went into a lengthy explanation of how fossils are created, which appeared to me to be going over the head of the five-year-old. When he was through, I knelt down next to my young friend and said, “Kiddo—sometimes things get smushed.”

Was that scientifically accurate? Maybe not, but it satisfied the question and I think, in retrospect, it was something to remember. Sometimes, circumstances beyond our control cause our plans, dreams and schemes to be, well, smushed. Adapt or become a fossil—good life lesson if you ask me.

That young man of thirteen years ago is heading off to college this fall, as well as a lot of you reading this. You’re going to learn an enormous amount of… stuff… at college. Some of it will be vitally, vitally important. Most of it will not. You won’t realize at the time which was which; in fact, in most cases, you will confuse the two. It’s okay—it happens to most of us. We spend so much time chasing the things we think we’re supposed to be chasing, making important in our minds those things that we are led to believe are important, and it’s not until much later, sometimes decades, that we realize what actually matters.

Find out what's happening in Nyack-Piermontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

Ironically, in many cases, the most important lessons we learn were acquired when we were still in single digits. We learned them from Horton, The Lorax and Yertle the Turtle. We learned them from The Grinch, Sam I Am and the imaginary denizens of Mulberry Street. We learned them from Dr. Seuss. 

Graduating class of 2011, before we lose you to quad parties and rush week, allow me this moment to remind you of a few of the life lessons learned from the words of our good Doctor:

Find out what's happening in Nyack-Piermontwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

  • “I am the Lorax, I speak for the trees, for the trees cannot speak for themselves.”

Life Lesson - Speak out for those without a voice. Help those who cannot help themselves. The environment is important… it’s the only one we’ve got.

 

  • “Sayyyy… I like Green Eggs and Ham! I do! I like them, Sam I Am!” 

Life Lesson - Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. (That one is for my nephew, whose five major food groups consist of pizza.)

 

  • “What if Christmas, he thought, doesn’t come from a store; what if Christmas, perhaps, means a little bit more?”

Life Lesson - People are more important than things. Feelings are more important than things. Most things are more important… than things.

 

  • “I meant what I said, and I said what I meant. An elephant’s faithful one hundred percent.” 

Life Lesson – Um… say what you mean and mean what you say. Do what you say you’re going to do. Your word is important.

 

  • “I know up on top you are seeing great sights, but down on the bottom we, too, should have rights.” 

Life Lesson – it’s not socialism to treat everyone fairly; it’s just being a decent human being.

 

  • “A person’s a person, no matter how small.” 

Life Lesson – Every other person is just as important as you are. And you are just as important as every other person.

 

  • “Be who you are and say what you feel because those who mind don’t matter and those who matter don’t mind.”

And…

  • “Why fit in when you were born to stand out?”

Life Lesson – Each of us were created as unique, incredible, one of a kind creations. Be the best “you” you can be. “Normal” is for temperatures.

Stand out, graduates. Make your mark. Let “the status quo” be some antiquated notion you read about in history books. In a world that says you can’t, I would ask that you offer a brief profanity in reply and then get on with the business of bringing a better, brighter future to life.

“Kid, you’ll move mountains.”

Best of luck, 2011.

We’ve removed the ability to reply as we work to make improvements. Learn more here

The views expressed in this post are the author's own. Want to post on Patch?