Ladies and Gentlemen of the class of 99...
Wear Sunscreen
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it.
The long term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists whereas
the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience
I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth; oh nevermind; you will not understand
the power and beauty of your youth until they have faded. But trust me, in 20 years
youll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you cant grasp now how
much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked.
Youre not as fat as you imagine.
Dont worry about the future; or worry, but know that worrying
is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing bubblegum.
The real troubles in your life are apt to be things that never crossed your
worried mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some idle Tuesday.
Do one thing everyday that scares you.
Sing.
Dont be reckless with other peoples hearts, dont put up with people who
are reckless with yours.
Floss
Dont waste your time on jealousy; sometimes youre ahead, sometimes youre behind
the race is long, and in the end, its only with yourself.
Remember the compliments you receive, forget the insults; if you succeed in doing
this, tell me how.
Keep your old love letters, throw away your old bank statements.
Stretch
Dont feel guilty if you dont know what you want to do with your life
the most interesting people I know didnt know at 22 what they wanted to do with
their lives, some of the most interesting 40 year olds know still dont.
Get plenty of calcium.
Be kind to your knees, youll miss them when theyre gone.
Maybe youll marry, maybe you wont, maybe youll have children,
maybe you wont, maybe youll divorce at 40, maybe youll dance the funky chicken
on your 75th wedding anniversary.
What ever you do, dont congratulate yourself too much or berate yourself either
your choices are half chance, so are everybody elses. Enjoy your body,
use it every way you can dont be afraid of it, or what other people think of it,
its the greatest instrument youll ever own..
Danceeven if you have nowhere to do it but in your own living room.
Read the directions, even if you dont follow them.
Do NOT read beauty magazines, they will only make you feel ugly.
Get to know your parents, you never know when theyll be gone for good.
Be nice to your siblings; they are the best link to your past and
the people most likely to stick with you in the future.
Understand that friends come and go,but for the precious few you should hold on.
Work hard to bridge the gaps in geography in lifestyle because the older you get,
the more you need the people you knew when you were young.
Live in New York City once, but leave before it makes you hard;
live in Northern California once, but leave before it makes you soft.
Travel.
Accept certain inalienable truths, prices will rise, politicians will philander,
you too will get old, and when you do youll fantasize that when you were
young prices were reasonable, politicians were noble and children respected their
elders.
Respect your elders.
Dont expect anyone else to support you. Maybe you have a trust fund,
maybe you have a wealthy spouse; but you never know when either one might run out.
Dont mess too much with your hair, or by the time its 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, wiping it off, painting over the ugly parts and recycling
it for more than its worth.
But trust me on the sunscreen...
Everybody's free, everybody's free, everybody's free
Everybody's free, everybody's free, to feel good, to feel good
Brother and sister together will make it through oh, huh yeah
Someday a spirit will take you and guide you there
I know you've been hurting ,but i've been waiting to be there for you
And I'll be there, just helping you out whenever I can
Everybody's free ohh yea yeah
Oh Every ho yeah
Oh to feel good
Ohh to feel good*
Everybody's free, everybody's free
Everybody's free, everybody's free, everybody's free, to feel good)
About Baz Luhrmanne:
Baz Luhrmann (born Mark Anthony Luhrmann on September 17, 1962) is an Oscar-nominated Australian film director. His films are distinguished by their flamboyant and colourful theatricality.
Luhrmann was raised in Herons Creek, a tiny rural settlement in northern New South Wales, where his father ran a petrol station and a movie theatre, both of which would influence his son's filmmaking career. He attended St. Joseph's Hasting Regional School, Port Macquarie 1975-1978. His nickname was given to him due to a perceived resemblance to the character Basil Brush.
Luhrmann married Catherine Martin, the production designer on all of his films, on January 26, 1997. They have two children, Lillian Amanda Luhrmann and William Alexander Luhrmann.
Lurhmann received Directors Guild of America and Golden Globe nominations for Best Director - Motion Picture for his work on Moulin Rouge!, but was snubbed for an Oscar nomination for directing. He did receive an Oscar nomination for Best Picture.
After theatrical successes, including the original stage version of "Strictly Ballroom", Luhrmann moved into film, and has directed three so far:
* Strictly Ballroom (1992), starring Paul Mercurio and Tara Morice
* Romeo + Juliet (1996), starring Leonardo DiCaprio and Claire Danes
* Moulin Rouge! (2001), starring Nicole Kidman and Ewan McGregor
These three films are now formally marketed as 'The Red Curtain Trilogy'.
Future projects
Luhrmann is scheduled to begin production in March 2007 of Australia, an "outback epic" starring Nicole Kidman and Hugh Jackman. The $130 million feature, financed by 20th Century Fox, will tell the story of an English aristocrat, played by Kidman, who settles on an Outback station in the 1930s and becomes romantically involved with an Outback drover, played by Jackman. The pair are caught up in the bombing of Darwin during World War II. Australian writer Stuart Beattie is also involved in the project. Russell Crowe was once scheduled to star in the film but is no longer involved.[1][2]
Luhrmann was working on a biographical film about Alexander the Great, tentatively starring DiCaprio and Kidman, but the release (and subsequent box office failure) of Oliver Stone's film on the same subject in 2004 has cast doubt over whether the project will be completed.
Influences
Luhrmann has stated Italian grand opera as a major influence on his work including the Moulin Rouge!. He has also listed other theatrical styles like Bollywood films as having had an influence on his work like Moulin Rouge!. Luhrmann was a ballroom dancer as a child, and his mother taught ballroom dancing, which was an inspiration for Strictly Ballroom.