Being In Love

Commencement Address

Edward R. Murrow High School

Delivered at Avery Fischer Hall

June 26, 2008

Ladies and Gentlemen, It’s great to be here today with all of you- the Edward R. Murrow Class of 2008- for this well deserved celebration. You enjoy a national reputation for academic excellence which is the envy of many other schools. Congratulations.  Over the last four years, while you have been working so hard, I’ve had the honor of serving as a mentor to small groups of students from Murrow, through a program called Open Doors, in which mentors and students saw and discussed Broadway shows as a way of learning more about the world of theatre. I can tell you that the Murrow students I worked with are among the brightest I’ve met anywhere.  So it’s a privilege for me to get to speak to you today– and a chance for me to share with you something really important as you set forth from Edward R. Murrow……. and that’s about being in love. Really? Being in love, you say? Falling in love. Yes, you heard right. I'm going to talk about one of the most important gifts you can give yourself as you move forward from here—something I hope you will reflect on as you begin the next chapter of your lives.



There’s a saying “Find what you love to do and you’ll never work a day in your life.”



You all know what it feels like to fall in love. And many of you, by virtue of having been a part of Edward R. Murrow, may have already found your passion.  I’m here to encourage all of you to be open to whatever opportunity comes your way because you never know when one of those opportunities will allow you to discover what you’re passionate about. It’s a good way to live life – to be in love with your work, with your profession.  



What do I mean? I’ll tell you a story –it’s  short but important, a story I think that can be valuable to you.  When I entered college –when I was your age, many, many, many years ago (before we had cell phones or fax machines or fed ex or email, or even voice mail—still, I can’t figure out how we got by back then) I had a vague idea I would become an archaeologist. That’s what I consciously thought about for my future. I volunteered for a few weeks during high school as an archaeologist, and that is what I thought I would do.



But becoming an archaeologist would not have been the best career choice for me. That would have meant that I would have become an academic  and being an academic would not have suited me nor made me happy. My parents are both academics—university professors, and they are brilliant at it.   Taking the lazy way out, I thought that the lifestyle that suited them would suit me. What I consciously thought I wanted to be- an archaeologist- was in fact not what really moved me. (I am sure you know what I mean.  I bet you’ve had times when you followed a particular path, a perfectly good path, an honorable, respectable path, but your heart was not in it).



Then something happened—something surprising- unplanned, unexpected. By luck, a college friend of mine was producing Guys and Dolls-- in a dining hall no less!--- and asked me if I could give him a hand-- by designing and building the set. You know how that goes – your buddy says, by the way, can you give me a hand???  What can you say? Before you know it, you are in over your head.



I don’t remember thinking so, but I must have known inside that giving a hand to my friend was something I needed to do- it was important to do- I just didn't know why. I had never developed any scenery nor designed any sets— but yet my gut said to forge ahead. The ideas started flowing and I found I couldn’t work fast enough to express them— and I was thrilled. Now you may know how it feels to be in love—that sleepless, excited, kind of funny feeling you get in your stomach (and I am not talking about eating too many Micky Ds). Well I had that feeling when I first designed a set.



By the time the actors came on stage, I had a feeling in my gut that scenery was my calling. I had this instinctive – you may call it visceral-- reaction inside – of incredible, thrilling excitement- just like you have when you fall in love.



I had found something I loved to do. And this kind of discovery is one of the great joys of life, to find your calling -- to be in love with what you do.



The experience was a revelation, and I am still happy to this day that I was open to that discovery- that I allowed myself to be open to discover a big part of myself – of who I would become. And I remember calling my parents to tell them of this revelation. I was nervous, and  it took me a while to work up the courage to do this, and when I finally did my parents were skeptical. In fact, there was dead silence on the other end of the phone line. But once they understood my passion and determination to do this, they, like me, embraced it and have never looked back.



Do I love every minute of my job? Of course not. Even the best jobs have aspects that are less interesting than others. But I do get to spend part of every week reading plays, meeting with directors, dreaming about how we imagine a production, sketching and painting,  visiting scene shops and watching actors discover their parts. And most exciting of all is when I walk into a theatre and see something that I dreamed up, something that I doodled on a piece of paper, come to life full scale for everyone to see.



So have an open mind. The most unexpected moment, the most unexpected place (a dining hall even!) may be when, where you discover what you love to do – and what best suits you- that allows for you to be you. Not what you thought you should be or what someone else thought you should be - but that which you love.  Being in love with what you do means you wake up wanting to go to work, that you’re excited by new challenges, and that you keep learning and pushing the envelope, pushing yourself, and learning and growing- because the passion in you is alive. And this is a great way to live life.



So my wish for you today - the Edward R. Murrow Class of 2008- is that in your lives you remain open to all kinds of opportunities that come your way. At the most unsuspecting moment, you’ll fall in love---in your profession, in your academic pursuits, in your personal growth- and yes, even in your romantic life .  That openness will lead you on a path of discovery, richness, achievement, and fulfillment.



The curtain’s going up. This is not the end of your story – it’s the exciting beginning of the next act. Maybe some new characters, different scenery and different sets – but a continuation of your own story. It’s your story unfolding.



Congratulations to all of you.  And congratulations to all the families and friends sharing this day and your steadfast support every step of the way. And all the best to you, the students, the 2008 graduating class of Edward R. Murrow High School. Be proud, be open, be ready to fall in love. Thanks for letting me share this day with you.

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