McIndoes Academy - Spitfire Yearbook (McIndoes, VT)

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5050 1115 VALEDICTORY ADDRESS Among the philosophies of the many authors I have studied is one which has fixed itself firmly in my mind. The philosophy which I am about to describe is one which is not easily attained, yet if attained should prove very self-satisfying. This way of life is t way of self-reliance, and the author I am referring to is Ralph Waldo Emerson. Emerson says, and this is the basis for his essay, HTO believe in your own thoughts, To believe what is true for you in your private heart is true for all men.H Now exactly what does this statement mean? Most of us go thru life having new ideas yet pushing them aside because we think we have not the potential to think up anything novel or worthwhile. We discard them and later see the same ideas used by others with success. Then we stop and berate ourselfves but it is too late. To be truly self-reliant, when that inner light flashes with a new idea, it is neccessary to believe and express it. Again I turn to Emerson, who says, nFor a man to truly have respect for himself, nothing should be sacred but his inner nature,N even at the risk of being a non-conformist. History has shown us that each decade has produced leaders by the scores, and the prime element for leadership is utter self reliance. This is where our generation seems to be failing, we have a definite lack of men strong within themselves and capable of holding public office. In order to develop leaders on a national scale, it is necessary to instill in our youth, faith 1n'themselves and their ideals. Our smaller commu- nities are the training ground for future leaders. The people in our co munities can easily assist in this development by showing complete faith in the young people of today. Abraham Lincoln is A prime example of a man who practiced self- reliance. Though half the nation opposed freeing the slaves, L1ncoln's ideals prevailed and he signed the Emancipation Proclama- tion. we greatly need men such as Lincoln today, to lead our country out of peril. what leads men to fame? In exceptional cases, fame is thrust upon an individual, but in most cases the famed one has had to thrust himself up and over the barriers of the commonplace. A flash of light, an inspiration - not tossed aside with the timeworn words, nProbably someone else has already thought it out and if they haven't it won't work,n but seized upon, enlarged and given to the world. The theories behind nuclear fission were once merely thoughts in the brains of several scientists. These men might have dis- regarded their thoughts as silly and tossed them aside, but they d1dn't. They discussed the ideas, worked them out and they resulted in the opening of our atomic era.