I am lucky that as a teacher the structure of my year demands a time of reflection each June and a time of reinvention each September. This year, commencement speeches became part of that process. All of my seniors had to deliver ten minute long commencement speeches as their final assessment. What they came up with was amazing; they spoke eloquently about experiences they have had and the lessons we all can learn from them. Here is the speech I delivered to them at the conclusion of that project. I graduated from high school twenty-one years ago. That is longer than all of you have been alive in this world. Still, I remember that heady mix of emotions that comes from leaving the life you have known behind and taking a big bold step out into the world. On graduation day, I sat in the sun with thoughts of a brilliant career ahead of me -- as a Broadway star. A lot has changed over the two decades since I sat on my high scho...