Life is what you make of it grads

This week the class of 2012 begins the next journey in their lives.
I remember sitting on the stage at Rainy River High School at graduation in 1985 and 1986 (grades 12 and 13). Besides it being really hot up there, I remember the excitement and sadness I felt.
I was excited to be moving onto university life, but was also sad that my classmates and I would be going separate ways. Not a one of them went to the same university as me so my sadness was justified.
But once I reached the University of Windsor I began meeting new friends and having new experiences. Quickly I began to discover that there was so much more to life than our small little school and community.
I did however have the foundation I needed to grow because of RRHS and the community.
I remember also thinking at graduation that I needed to get the heck out of Rainy River as fast as possible thinking there was nothing here.
But as I grew as a young adult I realized that life is what you make of it. Sure there is plenty of things to do and life is a much faster pace in the big city. But there is also a lot to be said for the area we live in. We are in some of the best fishing and hunting regions of the world.
People here are friendly and in a sense we are all family. Life in the city can be so insular.
When I came back to work at the Record in 1988 I brought what I learned from the growing experience back to Rainy River and have never regretted being here since.
So grads remember life is what you make of it, no matter where it takes you.

–Until then,
Ken