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BHS Valedictorian Speech, 6-16-00 Ashley Marie Tucker |
| Most of you who know me well
and a few that don't know that I have never been more nervous than I am
at this moment. My knees are wobbling, my hands are shaking, my fingers
don't know what to do with themselves, and my voice will probably stutter
or crack at many points during the next few minutes. I might
even start crying like I did while I was writing this speech. I thought
that if I admitted it now, maybe it would help. Even though I've
worked really hard for the honor and privilege to be up here, I didn't
think I wanted to give a speech. But after a while I realized that
I didn't have a choice. I got to this place for a reason and by the
grace of God, and maybe, just maybe, someone needs to hear what I have
to say. I'm going to talk about the one thing I have the most trouble
with in the world (other than public-speaking): and that is making choices.
All my life, I have been told that I have to make decisions, and that each and every one has consequences. When my brother came up and whacked me, it was my choice whether or not to hit back. If I did, I got punished, but I had temporary satisfaction. And for those of you that have siblings, you know that sometimes temporary satisfaction is all you're after. When I bought that new romance novel and read it when I was supposed to be doing homework, it was my choice whether or not to keep reading. If I did, I knew what happened in the end of the book, but then I was also trying to read textbooks with blurry eyes and use a brain that stopped functioning hours ago. So the choice then was either stay up late and work on homework, or just get in trouble for not doing it at all. Let's just say I've been up late quite a few times. When I had to decide if I wanted to do Governor's School, it was my choice whether or not to go. If I did, I had work out the wazoo, much less time to be with my friends at Brookville, classes that often flew right over my head, and…a shot at being valedictorian. I chose to attend the Governor's School. I've worked for two years at all hours of the night doing things I didn't understand most of the time and I've missed hanging out with people I really wanted to be with, but I've also gotten exactly what I wanted. I've achieved the goal, at times seemingly unachievable, that I set for myself several years ago. When someone told me about Jesus Christ and what He did for me, it was my choice whether or not to accept Him as my Lord. If I did, I had to give up doing some things that might make me fit in more with the crowd and I had to get used to some people not liking me very much for the stand I have to take. I chose to accept HIM and now I know that, if something happens to me tonight, I'm going to heaven. I know I'm not a perfect person and at times not a very good example for my God. I know I've said and done things that I shouldn't have or that have made me look like a fraud. And for those things I apologize. But I can't let this opportunity pass without even mentioning the most important person that has helped me get through my life so far and the person that could help each and every one of you if you let Him. All the choices I've had to make have been hard. I'm a bit wishy-washier than most people. But looking at all the decisions I've made so far, there aren't many I regret. Now it's time to look toward the future. Someday I'll have to pick a job and a place to live. Someday someone may ask me to marry him, and I'll have decide whether to say yes or no. Someday I may have to decide whether or not I want to have kids or how many. But with these choices I'll have something to go on. The decisions I've made in the past and the lessons I've learned from them will serve as a guide for me in the future. I've learned that no choice is without consequences, to choose well. In retrospect, hitting my brother or something like that really wasn't worth the spanking or the lecture I got afterwards.-- I've learned that I'm not alone in my choices; I've got my mom, my dad, my family members, and my God to talk it all through with. My mom and dad have always been there for me, even when I've tried to push them away by being so moody or telling them I don't care what they think. I've "bitten their heads off" for something they were right about more times than I can count, but they didn't say "I told you so"…most of the time. And I love them very much for that. I've learned that some choices don't really matter in the grand scheme of things and others can affect the rest of your life. Make sure you know which is which. The decision to drink or smoke to be part of the crowd doesn't matter anymore because now I know I don't need to be part of the crowd; I simply need to be me. Becoming a Christian not only gave me a more fulfilling life on earth, but also an eternal life. I've learned not to go into a choice without thinking it through, but also not to over-think a decision; being at either extreme only makes things worse. I've gotten into trouble for going ahead and doing something without giving it any thought. And I've also made myself sick going back and forth and back and forth between two options. Most of all I've learned to make the choice that feels right, that I can live with, not just for myself but for those around me too. Always remember that you're not the only one affected by the decisions you make. Now, we're at the end of one chapter of our lives, but the decisions we have to make are far from over. Each and every one of us has a life full of choices to make. Some of those choices will be the best ones we've ever made. We'll marry the man or woman of our dreams, or pick that job that fits us perfectly, or find that place on earth that is our own little piece of heaven. Some of those choices will be the worst ones we've ever made. In that case, you have to pick yourself up and choose to turn FROM that bad choice TO a better one. It doesn't matter how low you may go, the opportunity to turn your life around is always there; it just takes a little faith and a little determination. It's my sincerest wish that everyone here make the choices that are the best ones possible for them so that, at the end of our lives, when each of us looks back at the decisions we made, we won't find anything we regret. I wish each of you the best of luck wherever life takes you. Thank you very much for this privilege. Now let's graduate! Brookville High School Class of
2000
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