Bradner High School - Mirror Yearbook (Bradner, OH)

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541' ' V' Yahnllf' ' ' 194 VALENDICTORY Continued Soon, in most of our lives, there comes a union, such as happens to the small streams. They join to form a .mighty river, a union that greatly increases the power and ability of each, a union that makes it possible for them both to con- tinue to work toward their goal, accomplishing things not possible by either one alone. Many rocks and bars threaten this union, both trying to separate them so as to weaken them and to hinder their forward progress toward their goal. But the river rushes on, epausing only long enough to overcome these impediments in its way, doing such massive deeds as carving its way through a mountain of solid stone, and falling hundreds of feet over dams, thus making it pos- sible, by its turning of huge dynamos, for the world to have the better things of life because of its efforts. Then the pace picks up. If the river does not stick to its course, serious things and dangerous ones to other people may result. As some wild river on the rampage overflows its banks and destroys countless lives and property, so may we cause endless sorrow and misery to come to unknown numbers of people, if we go blindly forward, or are sidetracked, and lise sight of our goal that lies ahead, if only for an in- s ant. Before the end of the river's journey it has a lot of fast water and many rapids to go through, These are only overcome by the idea that nothing can stop it from its goal. By now, however, most of its work is done, and it flows slowly along, content to rest after its long years of cease- less struggles and its consequent achievements. All along the way it has picked up and carried materials that bother it such as our worries bother us. As it nears the ond of its journey it drops these impediments, with the thought only in mind of taking its time in the last lap of its race to its goa ,

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1141 0 ' -'igtahnfl' ' ' - 1541 VALENDICTORY Members of the Board of Education, members of the faculty, fellow classmates, and friends: We are gathered here tonight for what seems to us a very great occasion, the end of a dream come true, of graduating and of making our place in the world. But is it the end? Really it is only the beginning of the life we are about to enter, only the lower rung in the ladder of success. For twelve long years we have looked forward to this night, the time when our hopes and.fears, our ideals' and ambitions, would be realized. I said twelve lon years, but literally I don't mean it that way. At times, wgen obstacles would pile up before us, it seemed like a hard Job to overcome them, and a long time to wait, but we have succeeded, and, lookingtxmk on the years and the memories they bring, it seems all too short a time since we began our first grade in school. But enough of this reminiscing. We should look forward to our coming jobs and undertakings that are our duty in the life that lies stretched ahead of us, like a silvery river, from beginning to end, and shining under the sun with a brilliancy that shows great things to come. I think life can best be represented by a great river, Like the small tributaries of a large river we start our life in obscurity, many of us among humble surroundings, and with many rocks and obstructions in our path. But like the small stream we work our way to bigger things, -making our path in the world, pushing from our course the obstacles that contin- ually confront us in our efforts to go onward, and wearing our path deeper into the earth, leaving signs of our work and progress to the world. As do the little streams, we grew larger as we go along, and also do the obstacles become greater, some of them looming like giants about to turn all our efforts to naught. Like the stream, however, we always press forward, and, by means of constant striving to over- come these obstructions, We force our way through and ever onward. .

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Q41 0 ' Oigfahnlll' - 0 . VALENDICTORY Continued At last, as it reaches its last resting place, the ocean it sees a beautiful scene. There the sunset afterglow tinges even the eastern clouds with delicate pink light and changes the tropical ocean's vivid blue and deep purple of the day to soft opalescent colors. The mild evening breeze seems to form a pleasant accompaniment to the sound of the waters, and as thc tide comes in, the waves, sweeping up with their steady rhythmic flow, slap sharply the rocks along the coast, then recede, foaming and gurgling, until they meet with a slighter shock--a sort of secondary stress--an incoming breaker. With such a future in sight, it breathes a sigh of contentment, who would not?, .and as it flows into the ocean vastness of the ocean, com- well done. it looses its identity in' the pletoly satisfied with its job I Know of no better words Sullivan Dwight. Rest is not quitting the busy career, Rest is the fitting of self to its sphere. 'Tis the brook's motion, clear without strife, Fleeing to ocean, after its life. r'Tis loving and serving the Highest and Best! -'Tis onward! Unsworving, and that is true rest. -- Clayton McDole 7 of parting than these of John.