Not Knowing Is Okay

Good afternoon to the teachers, family, friends but mostly, to the class of 2026.

Standing here, it feels somewhat unreal. Graduation was something we would do later on. And here we are. Let´s admit it many of us still ask ourselves ¨What next?¨ 

Which brings me to my topic, no one knows anything for sure and we don’t have to.

We came into high school thinking we had to know everything and know ourselves inside out, who we were, what we will be in the future, an how should we behave now. But actually, we’ve been discovering ourselves for these last few years.

This is the nature of high school everyone seems to have their live in order while most students still have no idea and are trying to figure out their own path.

Reflecting on the four last years spent here, what strikes me is I don’t remember the big moments as much as the little ones. Talking with friends before the classes, laughing at some weird jokes or stressing because of some work is what I´ll think about later. This is the normal everyday stuff. This is what sticks with you later, not the tests but the moments in between.

Growing up doesn’t come as an event, but seems more of a process. The metaphor of walking through the fog perfectly reflects this idea. Seeing just a bit ahead, you wont even notice that you´ve traveled quite a lot of distance.

And here we are at the milestone of our stories at graduation, This time we all take different paths like studying at college, starting work, continue living from day to day.

Its quite a stressful situation, because of the pressure you receive from the people who expect you to already have some kind of plan and just tell them what you´re going to do. And actually, most of us cannot say anything definite and thats absolutely okay!

None of us are supposed to know everything about our lives.

Its more important to show willingness to make some steps, even if you don’t feel ready for it yet. Do experiments, try new experiences, make mistakes, learn from them. Most often it turns out those situations, which were totally unexpected for us, become the ones which change us the most.

So, as a conclusion of the four years here, I´d like you to remember that no one knows anything expect the willingness to move forward.

Lets celebrate this wonderful thing that we don’t have to know everything and can simply continue growing. 

I am proud of us all. So, Class of 2026, congratulations!

Image: “Fog” by misteraitch is licensed under CC BY 2.0.