By Henry Piarrot
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn’t do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines, sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” – Mark Twain
On Friday May 11, 2012 I experienced the tremendous satisfaction of watching my son Andrew graduate from the University of Tennessee with two music degrees. There truly is a pride that even a father who is a writer can have some trouble putting into words. However, from section 107, row 12, seat 1 at Thompson-Boling Arena in Knoxville, I witnessed one era of my talented young son’s life come to an end at the exact moment a whole new one began. Of course, that is why the event is called a commencement ceremony.
Instantly, the expectations of the world he and his classmates are entering will bear little resemblance to the one they are leaving behind. Some will find 9-5 jobs, while others will start businesses that will consume every moment of every day. Unfortunately, many will struggle to simply find a job in the field they have just spent years preparing.
As a professional musician, Andrew and his fellow music school graduates will probably apply for and, or audition for more jobs during their lives than any of the other professions of their graduating class. This is a conversation we had many times when he was younger and deciding who he wanted to be when he grew up.
We all know there is no shortage of musicians making a living in a field other than music. However, there are many that are making a living as a musician and some are doing very well. I found myself in the position that I could not tell Andrew, or any of my sons, that he could not do something. Actually, the truth is that if he did the work and stayed true to himself, he can do anything he chooses at a high level.
We have all been told that when you do what you love, you will never work a day in your life. I know it is a cliché, but the reason it is, is because it is the truth. To make a living doing the thing you love most in life is the goal of every person aspiring to do anything.
The problem is that we talk ourselves out of our first choice because somewhere along the way we allow someone to convince us that we are only dreaming and cannot really expect to believe that we are world class.
The real truth is that we are all born world class. The ones that eventually get to live it are the ones that do not stop believing if I keep working I will get there one day. Successful people in this world never quit and remain true to their dreams.
Embracing a singleness of purpose and keeping our eyes on the prize is the time tested method to becoming exactly who we have always seen ourselves to be. Do not let anyone, friend or foe, convince you that you are not good enough to be who you really already are.
We all fail from time to time. Lord knows I have worked for enough losers in my time. Yet, only you can decide to stop trying. Do not fear failing, as failure is the greatest teacher. If you refuse to lose, you still will be defeated sometimes, but as long as you never quit, you will have a happy and full life at least pursuing and then hopefully one day experiencing your precious dream.
So, as I have told my children, begin your journey with the person you see in the mirror. For that is the person you have to live with every day. Believe in yourself at least half as much as I believe in you and you will never work a day in your life.
And so, to Andrew Piarrot and the entire Class of 2012, it’s time to take that degree and put it to good use. While we all celebrate what you have accomplished today, remember the real work is just beginning. I am certain that none of you would have crossed that stage if not for the love of what you do.
Build your future with preparation, work hard and a smile. For, success comes from the promise we make to ourselves that we never become so afraid of failing that we forget to win.
Congratulations Son. I am very proud of you.
“Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat.” – Theodore Roosevelt
Henry Piarrot is a Sevier County resident. Please send all story recommendations to hpiarrot@yahoo.com
