利典禮在女子學(xué)院上演講我就美人魚

BarbaraPierceDelivered1JuneThankyouvery,verymuch,PresidentKeohane.Mrs.Gorbachev,Trustees,faculty,parents,andIshouldsay,JuliaPorter,classpresident,andcertainlymynewbestfriend,ChristineBicknell--and,ofcourse,theClassof1990.Iamreallythrilledtobeheretoday,andveryexcited,asIknowallofyoumustbe,thatMrs.GorbachevcouldjoinThese--Theseareexcitingtimes.They'reexcitinginWashington,andIhavereallylookedforwardtocomingtoWellesley.Ithoughtitwasgoingtobefun.Ineverdreamtitwouldbethismuchfun.So,thankyouforthat.Morethantenyearsago,whenIwasinvitedheretotalkaboutourexperiencesinthePeople'sRepublicofChina,Iwasstruckbyboththenaturalbeautyofyourcampusandthespiritofthisplace.Wellesley,yousee,isnotjustaplacebutanidea--anexperimentinexcellenceinwhichdiversityisnotjusttolerated,butisembraced.Theessenceofthisspiritwascapturedinamovingspeechabouttolerancegivenlastyearbyastudentbodypresidentofoneofyoursistercolleges.SherelatedthestorybyRobertFulghumaboutayoungpastor,findinghimselfinchargeofsomeveryenergeticchildren,hitsuponthegamecalled"Giants,Wizards,andDwarfs.""Youhavetodecidenow,"thepastorinstructedthechildren,"whichyouare--agiant,awizard,oradwarf?"Atthat,asmallgirltuggingathispantsleg,asked,"Butwheredothemermaidsstand?"Andthepastortellshertherearenomermaids.Andshesays,"Ohyesthereare--theyare.Iamamermaid."Nowthislittlegirlknewwhatshewas,andshewasnotabouttogiveuponeitherheridentity,orthegame.Sheintendedtotakeherplacewherevermermaidsfitintotheschemeofthings."Wheredothemermaidsstand?Allofthosewhoaredifferent,thosewhodonotfittheboxesandthepigeonholes?""Answerthatquestion,"wroteFulghum,"Andyoucanbuildaschool,anation,orawholeworld."Asthatverywiseyoungwomansaid,"Diversity,likeanythingworthhaving,requireseffort--efforttolearnaboutandrespectdifference,tobecompassionatewithoneanother,tocherishouridentity,andtoacceptunconditionallythesameinYoushouldallbeveryproudthatthisistheWellesleyspirit.NowIknowyourfirstchoicetodaywasAliceWalker--guesshowIknow!--knownforTheColorPurple.Insteadyougotme--knownforthecolorofmyhair.AliceWalker'sbookhasaspecialresonancehere.AtWellesley,eachclassisknownbyaspecialcolor.ForfouryearstheClassof'90haswornthecolorpurple.TodayyoumeetonSeveranceGreentosaygoodbyetoallofthat,tobeginanewandaverypersonaljourney,tosearchforyourowntruecolors.Intheworldthatawaitsyou,beyondtheshoresofWaban--LakeWaban,noonecansaywhatyourtruecolorswillbe.ButthisIdoknow:Youhaveafirstclasseducationfromafirstclassschool.Andsoyouneednot,probablycannot,livea"paint-by-numbers"life.Decisionsarenotirrevocable.Choicesdocomeback.AndasyousetoffThefirstistobelieveinsomethinglargerthanyourself,togetinvolvedinsomeofthebigideasofourtime.IchoseliteracybecauseIhonestlybelievethatifmorepeoplecouldread,write,andcomprehend,wewouldbethatmuchclosertosolvingsomanyoftheproblemsthatplagueournationandourAndearlyonImadeanotherchoice,whichIhopeyou'llmakeaswell.Whetheryouaretalkingabouteducation,career,orservice,you'retalkingaboutlife--andlifereallymusthavejoy.It'ssupposedtobefun.OneofthereasonsImadethemostimportantdecisionofmylife,tomarryGeorgeBush,isbecausehemademelaugh.It'strue,sometimeswe'velaughedthroughourtears,butthatsharedlaughterhasbeenoneofourstrongestbonds.Findthejoyinlife,becauseasFerrisBuellersaidonhisdayoff,"Lifemovesprettyfast;andyadon'tstopandlookaroundonceinawhile,yagonnamissit."(I'mnotgoingtotellGeorgeyaclappedmoreforFerristhanyaclappedforGeorge.)Thethirdchoicethatmustnotbemissedistocherishyourhumanconnections:yourrelationshipswithfamilyandfriends.Forseveralyears,you'vehadimpresseduponyoutheimportancetoyourcareerofdedicationandhardwork.And,ofcourse,that'strue.Butasimportantasyourobligationsasadoctor,alawyer,abusinessleaderwillbe,youareahumanbeingfirst.Andthosehumanconnections---withspouses,withchildren,withfriends--arethemostimportantinvestmentsyouwilleverAttheendofyourlife,youwillneverregretnothavingpassedonemoretest,winningonemoreverdict,ornotclosingonemoredeal.Youwillregrettimenotspentwithahusband,achild,afriend,oraparent.Weareinatransitionalperiodrightnow--Weareinatransitionalperiodrightnow,fascinatingandexhilaratingtimes,learningtoadjusttochangesandthechoiceswe,menandwomen,arefacing.Asanexample,Irememberwhatafriendsaid,onhearingherhusbandcomplaintohisbuddiesthathehadtobabysit.Quicklysettinghimstraight,myfriendtoldherhusbandthatwhenit'syourownkids,it'snotcalledbabysitting.Nowmaybeweshouldadjustfaster;maybeweshouldadjustslower.Butwhatevertheeratwenty--whatevertheera,whateverthetimes,onethingwillneverchange:fathersandmothers,ifyouhavechildren,theymustcomefirst.Youmustreadtoyourchildren,andyoumusthugyourchildren,andyoumustloveyourchildren.Yoursuccessasafamily,oursuccessasasociety,dependsnotonwhathappensintheWhiteHouse,butonwhathappensinsideyourhouse.Foroverfiftyyears,itwassaidthatthewinnerofWellesley'sannualhoopracewouldbethefirsttogetmarried.Nowtheysay,thewinnerwillbethefirsttobecomeaC.E.O.Both--Bothofthosestereotypesshowtoolittletoleranceforthosewhowanttoknowwherethemermaidsstand.So--SoIwanttoofferanewlegend:thewinnerofthehoopracewillbethefirsttorealiz