Griffin Miller, Snohomish High School Valedictorian speech

Griffin Miller, Snohomish High School Valedictorian

Griffin Miller, Snohomish High School Valedictorian

Good afternoon everyone. The past twelve years of our education have taught us many things, from how to spell our own names, to learning the Pythagorean Theorem and how useful it is in everyday life. We all have been counting down the days until graduation, and while it is exciting to finally finish our senior year, graduation also means the end of many more things than just classes; Friday night football games, spirit weeks, pep assemblies, and all the little traditions that made us panthers. We often take these things for granted.

In a somewhat popular TV show, Spongebob SquarePants, Spongebob and Patrick decide to try to live like Larry the Lobster, a character who enjoys life as it happens and isn’t afraid of failure or embarrassment. They decide that “livin like Larry” means living in the moment and ignoring all reason. Spongebob and Patrick end up pulling a bunch of crazy stunts and getting hurt, so Larry realizes that he needs to better explain the concept of “livin’ like Larry.” He defines “livin’ like Larry” as living life to the fullest while not hurting yourself or your reputation. Now, I think I could live life like Larry a little more often. I tend to over think and worry about things more than the average person. With that being said, I don’t think I’m ready to totally throw caution to the wind, but I do think that each day I can do something small to live in the moment. I encourage you all to live like Larry – enjoy life as much as you can by doing what makes you happy, taking risks, and being yourself.

Self-proclaimed genius and respected philosopher, Kanye West, once said “If you have the opportunity to play this game of life, you need to appreciate every moment. A lot of people don’t appreciate the moment until it’s passed.” I think it is important that we celebrate life as it happens, be grateful for the successes, and don’t fear the failures. Follow your passion and don’t settle for any limitations, we all have the ability to succeed in this game of life.

With that being said, I’m gonna find what I love and let it kill me, I’m going to continuously celebrate each moment, and I’m not going to fear what life has to throw at me, because I know, not just me, but all of us have the ability to overcome any obstacle and to live life like Larry.

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