♥ the only thing to do with good advice is pass it on.

ladies and gentlemen of the class of '99

if i could offert 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 dispence 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 you'll look back at photos of yourself and recall

in a way you can't grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how

fabulous you looked.

you're not as fat as you imagine. don't 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 mind; the kind that blindside you at 4pm on some

idle tuesday.

do one thing every day 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 on jealousy; sometimes you're ahead,

sometimes you're behind.. the race is long, and, in the end,

it's 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. 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 still don't.

get plenty of calcium. be kind to your knees, you'll miss them when

they're gone. maybe you'll marry, maybe you won't.

maybe you'll have chuldren, maybe you won't.

maybe you'll divorce at 40, maybe you'll dance the funky chicken

on your 75th wedding anniversary.

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.

dance... even if you have nowhere to do it but 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.

get to know your parents, you never know when they'll 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 and 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, polticians will philander,

you too will get old, and when you do you'll

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 have a wealthy spouse;

but 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, wiping it off, painting over

the ugly parts and recycling it for more than it's worth.

but trust me on the sunscreen..

written by mary schmich

filmed by baz lurhmann