Here we are in late June, and the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” can be heard coming from high school gymnasiums and college campuses across the land. These commencement ceremonies, dispensing degrees and diplomas to the students who have worked so hard to earn them, continue a grand educational tradition.
And Better Said Than Done has decided to join in on the fun. This Saturday, June 25th, come to the Auld Shebeen in Fairfax, Va, or join us online, for “The Graduate: Stories of Growing Up or Moving On.” I have the honor of emceeing the festivities this time around, and we’ve gathered a group of storytellers who are each at the top of their class: Nick Baskerville, Noa Baum, Bonnie Gardner, Giselle Ruzany, Gayle Turner, and Diana Veiga. Tickets are right here!
To get us in the spirit of the evening, I asked each teller to recall the best bit of wisdom, perspective, or advice they got as they were beginning a new phase in life. Here are their answers…
Nick Baskerville: I’ve gotten a lot of great advice over my life time. If I followed more of it, life probably would have been easier. One bit of wisdom that sticks out at the moment comes from YouTube. A YouTube video star says “Everything is figureoutable.” I find it great at 1) giving you hope when things look bad or 2) proving that anyone can make up a word to give confidence to people.
Noa Baum: The great drama therapist Sue Jennings taught me in grad school: “Stay with the chaos.” It was and still is the hardest thing to do but the best and wisest advice I’ve ever received.
Bonnie Gardner: When I was turning 40, I read an article in O magazine where the (male) fashion editor advised that “shorts” for women in their 40s need to be knee-length or longer. I glanced at my closet full of short shorts and mini-skirts, and I said something that can’t be published on a family blog. O Magazine gave me the best advice I needed for my new decade, because that was the day I put away social expectations of how a woman should dress. I cancelled my subscription and spent the money on, you guessed it, a pair of short shorts.
Giselle Ruzany: I think I found these on my own… when I start a new phase, I often put a couple of milestone dates on my calendar. My first one is two months ahead: this reminds me it takes me a while to get into a sustainable pace. The second one is two years ahead: Because I am an introvert (actually secretly very shy), it usually takes me a couple of years before I start to make friends. This way, I do not get too impatient with myself.
Gayle Turner: My dad was strong on commitment. If you choose to do something, do it. When I worked construction with him he used to tell me, “Do something, I can fix wrong. I can’t fix nothing.” Maybe not grammatically correct, but he had a bias for action. And commitment impacted your actions. He expected that I give my all until I decided I couldn’t or wouldn’t and then as an honorable man I should walk away.
Diana Veiga: That I had everything I needed to succeed and I just had to trust and believe in myself and my skills.
What great answers! And we’ve got more stuff like that coming your way during the show. Our tellers have also answered this corresponding question: “If you were giving a graduation speech today, what’s one bit of wisdom, perspective, or advice you’d want to impart to the Class of 2022?”
Join us for the show and find out what they had to say! Doors open at 6:00 P.M. and the fun starts at 7:00. Tickets start at $5 for the online version and $15 in person. Get your tickets now!
