Two Special Events in May, 2007 - 2007-05-19 13:05:40 I had a couple of wonderful events over the last two weeks. On May 5, I gave the commencement address at Marshall University in Huntington, West Virginia. What a wonderful institution Marshall U. is! It is a magnificent school and I was pleased to join the graduating class of 2007 and give them a few remarks to contemplate. Essentially, my speech was a summary of my book We Are Not Afraid. I reminded the graduates that there are so many people out there whose job it is to frighten you - the media, various politicians, etc. The media does it so you'll watch in horror and fascination, sort of like looking at a car wreck. Politicians cynically do it for your votes. It's fine to be serious about the world. It can be, after all, sometimes dangerous. But I believe the world is better than that, that it is a place where there are so many positive possibilities and that all us must look for them and resolve not only to make the world a better place, but to have more than a little fun in it, too. We are proud of who we are, we stand up for what we believe, we keep our families together, we trust in God but rely on ourselves! It is that belief system that will make for a great life where we're all able to say, WE ARE NOT AFRAID!
After the commencement, I received an honorary doctorate in literature from Marshall U. Linda refuses to call me doctor, but I think I've noticed a new respect from our cats!
On May 10, I went up to Blacksburg, Virginia, to visit my alma mater, Virginia Tech. We all know about the horrible tragedy there in April, but Va. Tech is not a place of victims. Hokies are people who take care of victims, and get out in the world to do great things. I received the 2007 Alumni Distinguished Achievement Award Thursday night, attended by wife Linda, brother Jim, Jim's wife Betty Jane (a Coalwood girl), two classmates, George Fox and Chick Leftwich, along with representatives of the Cadet Corps, and many others, including my good friend Astronaut Charlie Camarda, also a Va. Tech grad. On Saturday, I attended the commencement exercises, a triumphant, yet, because of our missing Hokies so horribly taken away from us, a very touching event.
We are not afraid! Better times are coming, I swan.
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