June 2, 2006
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I Just Haven’t Felt Like Blogging
Or writing letters, or cleaning the house, or reorganizing my bookshelves, or dozens of other tasks that sometimes give me pleasure. (Cleaning the house is exempted from the pleasure list.) I wonder what it is. Lack of exercise? Mamaglop was right about the magnesium supplements, I believe. I’ve been spotty about taking them, and I’ve got a chocolate craving like no one’s business right now. I just sucked down an M-Azing crispy bar as if I were a–something. I don’t even feel like coming up with clever similes!
Despite my blah attitude, life has been going on quite swimmingly–both in a literal and figurative sense. We had some stinky hot days, so the pool was in use by us and by friends. If you don’t get a personal invitation and want to come to swim (Kitty and Blue Smurf and other SC-ites), consider yourself invited. Just call. It’s that kind of house here. Today is threatening rain, but probably it won’t come in time to cancel baseball games before we all get to the field. We’ll just wait and see.
I finished Jane Eyre, and I really did enjoy it. Anyone who wants to chat about it is welcome to email me… I’m reading a WONDERFUL book right now called Honey for a Woman’s Heart by Gladys Hunt. I love to read about books, and I love to hear what others are reading and love to read. This book is perfect for folks like me: book lists, comments on how wonderful reading is, synopses of books and why they are worth reading, and more! It’s a newer book (2002) so most of the titles are recognizable. Plus, Hunt is a Christian and doesn’t shy away from addressing the ideas of “Christian” literature. I particularly liked the quote she included which basically said, “Christian is a noun. When it is used as an adjective, it’s usually misguided.”
I’m a bit stumped about something. I’m the graduation speaker next Friday night for the homeschool graduation here in town. However, I’ve been specifically asked not to “charge” the students because one of the parents feels it is the job of the parents to charge their student. But, what exactly does it mean to “charge the students”? If I say to them, “Don’t forget X,” am I charging them? If I tell them always to trust in God and not to forget the wonderful teaching they’ve received, is that a charge? If I say, “Go out there and succeed,” is that a charge? Help?
Comments (16)
Hmm. I really dunno. This is why I shy from public roles. Why not ask the person who told you not to?
She didn’t know what this other person meant either. But, it was a good thought!
I have not heard of the term or practice, “charging the students,” in graduation addresses. But I have been to very few graduations. That is very brave of you to give a speech for this occasion . . . I would have to go and research what sort of things are said, which I would feel would be a lot of work (too much work).
Ooooh, what a delightful problem. I write graduation speeches for fun. speaches, peaches, hmmm… that word doesn’t look right. The latest one was about heroisim, what it looks like. I used the words from the Disney song from the Movie Hercules “I can go the distance” I’ve always thought the words could easily be about the Christian walk. The premis was hmmm…premise…yes, that’s better, the premise was that each graduating class hopes and expects to do great things, but where are the doers of great deeds from the class before? My conclusion was that acts of heroisim are all around you if you’ll look: deferred gratification, compassion for others, personal responsibility, and so on.
I do think you should be compensated for your time. $50/hr sounds about right. So I guess you can just collect that from the parents? With all the hoopla surrounding graduation the parent(s) probably thought the students might misplace the $. It’s probably a good idea.
Oh, I misread what you wrote. Boy do I feel stupid. Why would the parents charge the students? The parents really aren’t doing anything. Maybe this parent is planning on charging the student too much and skimming some off the top? Sounds like a money making scheme to me.
Wow…what a great honor…and challenge. I am assuming by charge they mean “an authoritative instruction or command.” Hmm…Maybe just focus on inspiring them and encouraging them without issuing “orders.” You can encourage them not to forget X or to always trust in God without commanding it of them. Would love to hear how this goes.
Also, I know what those “don’t want to” days feel like. And the chocolate cravings! Now I “charge” you to get those shelves reorganized and I will clean out my file cabinet! God Bless!
I love books! Maybe I should read that one.
If you try not to offend anyone, you’ll wind up offending everyone. Or something like that.
I’ve been to quite a few graduations. The speeches I’ve found helpful are ones that boil down all our hard work to one simple premise: For what has all this knowledge and study prepared us? Students like to know why. So tell them. And maybe lay it out in a sort of tableau: here’s how far you’ve come; here’s how far you can go. Give them a challenge–or rather, ask them to challenge themselves–to make a positive impact on the world. A challenge isn’t a charge, so technically you’re getting past that pesky parent, but at least you’re holding the students accountable for what they’ve done and what they will do in life.
And that idiotic parent saying it’s only the parents’ job to “charge” their students? They’re awfully proud and in need of a huge dose of comeupance. It’s like saying the three-fold cord of church, school, and family isn’t necessary… that only the family is important. Hmmm… considering they’re homeschooling, maybe that IS what they think. I wonder if this family regularly attends church and participates in its activities. How do they handle the charges given by their pastor? Do they go home and explain to their children “I’m sorry you had to hear that; you needn’t feel pressured by that charge. We’ll give you a better /more appropriate charge instead.”
So yeah, tell the students whatever it is you want to tell them… whatever YOU think they need to hear at this stage in life. And keep it short. On graduation day, it’s awfully hard to concentrate on speakers and what they’re saying!
Whatever you choose to say, I’m sure it’ll be the highlight of the evening!!
Shying from public roles or asking what they meant?
he he he… I hope it goes well! I have two thoughts on the graduation –
1. I’d say go ahead and charge them anyway, but make it sound like it isn’t a charge. For example: “Now I’m not going to give you a formal charge or a sermon or anything like that tonight, because that’s really your parents’ job. Instead I’m just going to share one or two brief thoughts from what I’ve learned in life.” That will please the parents who hear you, and also when people hear the word ‘brief’ they will relax and be happy inside.
2. I’ve been to lots and lots of graduations, and the best grad speeches were extremely short, pithy, and focused, not long and rambling. They say that people cannot remember more than seven points in a sermon, and it’s generally recommended to pastors to keep it to three or less. But for a graduation speech I’d say even two points is pushing it, and one point is really ideal… : ) If you can nail it down with an unforgetable story, that’d be excellent and will maximize the chance that they’ll remember it.
I remember several years ago at Cedarville, fourteen male students were giving brief 5-minute sermonettes telling why they wanted to be elected to the AD-7 committee. I only remember one of the speeches. The guy strode to the podium, gazed gravely at us students for a minute, then said slowly and distinctly, “I like cheese.” After the students erupted in laughter for about 30 seconds, he explained that he only had said that in order to help us remember him in the midst of all the other people, and went on to give his sermonette. … well, it worked…
First I must say, Loeschdogg, “you’re a dork”…too funny! Secondly, I ditto Tim…whether you charge or not (whatever that really means), keep it short and sweet!
My vote is that short and sweet is a great plan. Probably anything that you would say that is worth saying at a graduation would cause the students (maybe even parents or other audience members!) to think…which could be interpreted as a “charge.” I guess that makes mine a vote for charge…why would you bother to speak to them at their graduation if you didn’t hope to get them thinking about something.
And, perhaps you should charge them (in the LoeschDogg sense)…you’re having to invest an evening of speaking and the time spent preparing, so you might as well be compensated! Hee-hee.
yeah it’s 10th and up.
I don’t understand why they’d ask you to give the speech, and then tell you not to “charge” the students. Isn’t that kind of the point of a graduation speech? You try to motivate, inspire, encourage, etc. Just pray for God’s leading as you prepare it.
Hi Mary! How challenging to come up with a speech with no “charge” to the listening seniors! WOW! how can you give a speech like that without encouraging them in their future. …i will pray for you. I think Tim223′s idea was best!
I’m reading “Everyday Victory for Everyday People” (an awesome devotional), “Chasing God and the Kids Too” (from the convention), and “The Idiot” by Dostoevsky (which I just started — I picked it up because I liked his other books and I heard this was was allegorical–my favorite) ….Yes, I always read three books at once. One book for each mood? lol (maybe I should read more than three, but I am afraid of what that would do to me–haha)