Advice for the future

So I just love the lyrics to this old, old song I heard thanks to Miss Heike.

Ladies and gentlemen of the class of 1997

Wear sunscreen!
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it
The long term benefits of sunscreen are being proved by scientists
Whereas my advice has no basis than my own experience

Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth..oh well nevermind
You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until it’s faded
But trust me in 20 years you’ll look back at photos of yourself and realize how fabulous you looked

You are not as fat as you imagine

Don’t worry about the future
Know that worrying is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum
The real troubles in life are apt to be problems that never crossed your worried mind
The kind the blind slides you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday

Do one thing everyday that scares you

Sing

Don’t be reckless with other people’s hearts
Don’t put up with people who are reckless with yours

Floss

Don’t waste your time with jealousy
Sometimes you’re ahead
Sometimes you’re behind
The race is long

Remember the compliments
Forget the insults
If you succeed in doing this..tell me how

Keep your old love letters
Throw away your old bank statements

Stretch

Don’t feel guilty if you don’t know what you want to do with your life
The most interesting people I know didn’t know at 22 what they wanted to do with their lives
Some of the most interesting 40 year olds I know right now, still don’t know

Get plenty of calcium

Maybe you will marry
Maybe you won’t
Maybe you will have children
Maybe you won’t
Maybe you’ll divorced at 40
Maybe you’ll dance the funky chicken on your 70th wedding anniversary
Whatever you do don’t congratulate yourself too much

Your choices are half chance, and so are everybody elses

Enjoy your body
Use it in everyway you can
Don’t be afraid of it
Or what other people think of it
It’s the greatest instrument you will ever own

Dance
Even if you have no where to do it but your own living room

Read the directions
Even if you don’t follow them

Don’t read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly

Get to know your parents
You never know when they will be gone for good
Be nice to your siblings
They are your best link to your past
And the most likely to stick to you in the future

Understand that friends come and go
But with a precious few you should hold on

Live in NYC once, but leave before it makes you hard
Live in northern California once but leave before it makes you soft

Travel

Accept certain inevitable truths
Prices will rise
Politicians will philander
You too will get old
And when you do you will fantasize that when YOU were young
Prices were reasonable
Politicians were noble
And children respected their elders

Respect your elders

Don’t expect anyone else to support you
Maybe you have a trust fund
Maybe you’ll have a wealthy spouse
But you never know when one of them will run out

Don’t mess too much with your hair
Or by the time you’re 40 you’ll look 85

Be careful of whose advice you buy
But be patient with those who supply it

But trust me on the sunscreen