everybody’sfree(to wearsunscreen)mix

Written by

M A R Y S C H M I C H

I WILL DISPENSE THIS ADVICE NOW

Enjoy the power and beauty of your y o u t h

Never mind, you will NOT understand

the power and beauty of your y o u t h

until they’ve faded But trust me,

in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall

in a way you can’t grasp

Ladies & Gentlemen of the

Class of ’97,

wear sunscreenIf I could offer you

O N L Y O N E tip for the f u t u r e ,

sunscreen would be itThe

long term benefits of sunscreen

have been P R O V E D by scientists

Whereas the rest of my advice

has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience

How much possibility lay before you?And how fabulous you really looked

You are NOT as fat as you imagine

Don’t worry about the f u t u r e -

Or worry, but know that worrying

is as effective as trying to solve

algebra equationsby chewing gum.

The real troubles in your life are apt

to be things that NEVERcrossed your worried mind,The kind that b l i n d s i d e you

at 4 pm on some idle Tuesday

Don’t worry about the future

Do that scares you

Sing

Don’t with other peoples’ hearts

Don’t who are reckless with yours

Floss

Don’t on jealousy

Sometimes you’re ahead, sometimes you’re behind

T h e r a c e i s l o n g , and in the end

it’s only with yourself

Remember compliments you’ve received, forget the insults

If you succeed in doing this, tell me how

Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know still don’t Get plenty of calcium -

Be kind to your knees: you’ll miss them when they’re gone

you’ll marry, you won’t

you’ll have children, you won’t

you’ll divorce at you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 75th wedding anniversary

MAYBE 40

Keep your old love letters,

throw away your old b a n k s t a t e m e n t s

S t r e t c h

Don’t feel guiltyif you don’t know what

you want to do with your

LIFEThe most interesting people I know

didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives

Whatever you do

don’t congratulate yourself too much,or berate yourself either

Your choices are half chance:

so are everybody else’s

Enjoy your body: use it every way you can

Don’t be afraid of it or what other people think of it

It’s the GREATEST instrument you’ll ever own

- D a n c e

Even if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room

Read the directions, even if you don’t follow them

Do not read beauty magazines: they will only make you feel ugly

Brother & Sister T o g e t h e r w e ’ l l m a k e i t t h r o u g h S o m e d a y a s p i r i t w i l l t a k e y o u

a n d g u i d e y o u t h e r e I k n o w y o u ’ v e b e e n h u r t i n g

b u t I ’ v e b e e n w a i t i n g t o b e t h e r e f o r y o u A n d I ’ l l b e t h e r e j u s t h e l p i n g y o u o u t

w h e n e v e r I c a n

Get to know your parents: you never know when they’ll be gone for good

Be nice to your siblings: they’re your best link to your past

And the people most likely to stick with you in the future

Understand that friends come and go - But with a p r e c i o u s few you should hold on

W O R K H A R D

t o b r i d g e t h e g a p s

i n g e o g r a p h y a n d l i f e s t y l e ,

B e c a u s e t h e o l d e r y o u

g e t , t h e m o r e y o u n e e d

t h e p e o p l e y o u k n e w

w h e n y o u w e r e

y o u n g .

L i v e i n N e w Y o r kC i t y o n c e , b u t l e a v e b e f o r e i t

m a k e s y o u h a r d -

L i v e i n N o r t h e r n

C a l i f o r n i a o n c e , b u t

l e a v e b e f o r e i t m a k e s y o u s o f t T r a v e l

Accept certain inalienable truths:

p r i c e s w i l l r i s e , p o l i t i c i a n s w i l l p h i l a n d e r ,

Y o u t o o w i l l g e t o l d , a n d w h e n y o u d o y o u ’ l l f a n t a s i s e

T h a t w h e n y o u w e r e y o u n g p r i c e s w e r e r e a s o n a b l e , p o l i t i c i a n s w e r e n o b l e ,

A n d c h i l d r e n r e s p e c t e d t h e i r e l d e r s .

Respect your elders.

Don’t expect anyone else to support youMaybe you’ll have a trust fund,

maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouseBut you never know

when either one might

run out.Don’t mess too much with your hair,

or by the time you’re 40

it will look 85

Be careful whose advice you buy - but be patient with those who supply it

Advice is a form of nostalgia - Dispensing it is a way of fishing the past from the disposal, w i p i n g i t o f f , painting over the ugly parts and recycling it

for more than it’s worth

But trust me on the sunscreen…

Brother & Sister T o g e t h e r w e ’ l l m a k e i t t h r o u g h S o m e d a y a s p i r i t w i l l t a k e y o u

a n d g u i d e y o u t h e r e I k n o w y o u ’ v e b e e n h u r t i n g

b u t I ’ v e b e e n w a i t i n g t o b e t h e r e f o r y o u A n d I ’ l l b e t h e r e j u s t h e l p i n g y o u o u t

w h e n e v e r I c a n

Everybody’sfree

Everybody’s

free Everybody

DESIGNED BYOYKU YIGIT

“Advice, like youth, probably just wasted on the young”