Opinion, Out and About

Out and About

May 28, 2025 | Sandi Kemp

As you can tell by the content of this issue, we are celebrating the Navarre High School Graduating Class of 2025. The transition into adulthood can sometimes be daunting for parents and their children. It is a time of excitement, the culmination of years of hard work on behalf of the students, teachers and parents alike. There is a lot of pressure put on everyone to have it all figured out by the time the graduate crosses the stage, but it is my experience and opinion that that is a false narrative and can lead to a lot of disappointment. Even after college – or at anytime in life, there is no way to know what the rest of your life is going to look like. It is best to have some very basic foundational principles and beliefs and move forward being open to the path that life/God has in store for you. Personally, I turn to the Bible and test that against the proven experience of others.

Here are some quotes from famous commencement speeches that I found to be true in the four decades since I’ve graduated and many businesses, success and failures later…and still learning:

“You get to make your own luck. 80% of success in your career will come from just showing up. The world is run by those who show up…not those who wait to be asked.” ~ Steve Blank, entrepreneur
“Even if you are on the right track, you will get run over if you just sit there.” ~ Will Rogers, actor, humorist and social commentator
“If your uniform isn’t dirty, you haven’t been in the game.” ~ Ben Bernanke, former Chairman of the Federal Reserve
Don’t let your fears overwhelm your desire… you will never know what you’re capable of unless you try.” ~ Sheryl Sandberg, Former COO of Facebook
“Life has no remote. Get up and change it yourself.” ~ Mark A. Cooper, Bestselling Author of Young Adult Spy Novels
“I realized there is more to life than work. Don’t wait as long as I did to learn this lesson. Take time to nurture your relationships, to celebrate your successes, and to recover from your losses.” -Bill Gates, Founder of Microsoft
“Buckle up, you have good times and rough seas ahead. It is just part of life, but enjoy the ride and laugh a lot.” -Lee Drummond, published author, Food Network host, and most importantly, mother of five.
“As you go out into the world, don’t waste time on problems that have been solved… Look for the rough spots, the problems that seem too big, the complexities that other people are content to work around. It’s in those places that you will find your purpose. It’s there that you can make your greatest contribution.” Tim Cook, CEO of Apple.
“Be for something. Be curious, not cool. Feed your soul, too. Every day. Remember, insecurity makes liars of us all. Don’t confuse success with excellence. Ken Burns, Documentary Filmmaker

“Your work is going to fill a large part of your life and the only way to be truly satisfied is to do what you believe is great work. And the only way to do great work is to love what you do.” Steve Jobs, Founder of Apple

n “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Last week’s column was written in 10 minutes and without an editor to double check me. There was a lot going on when I wrote it at the last minute, including the delivery of our Visitor Guides. Regardless I apologize for all the errors in a very important 25-year Anniversary column. As I told a good friend of mine, we are too busy to have a major anniversary. I’ve learned my lesson and I’m going to do my best to write my column over the weekend instead of the last minute. And, another lesson in life, you don’t always get a chance to “edit” or change what has been said or written. That is where grace comes in – for yourself and others.

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