Jeff Whitten

Columnist

What follows is a hastily written A to Z of advice for the Class of 2025. It’s also for me, because I need to be reminded of this sort of stuff from time to time.

Always give your best. People will know when you’re sandbagging.

Be nice to old people and animals. And kids. And those worse off than you.

Call your parents often, if for no other reason than nobody on this planet will ever love you more.

Don’t take any wooden nickels, don’t litter, don’t trespass and don’t pick your nose or scratch yourself in certain places in public. There are a lot of don’ts out there, and there’s usually a reason. Do hold open doors for ladies and anybody else you can.

Enjoy the finer things in life. Like sunshine and rain. And try to remember there’s often a difference between what something costs and what it’s truly worth. Knowing the difference is important.

Follow your heart until you wear it out.

Give more than you get and you’ll get more than you gave. Giving is good. Gratitude is good, too.

Hold on to your dreams, even when just hanging in there might be all you think you can manage. And there’s no law saying you can’t do both at the same time.

Immerse yourself in something bigger than yourself, like learning for yourself how our government really works, not how somebody tells you it works.

Jump for joy at least once a day.

Keep the secrets you’re told. Never, ever, never burn a source.

Let go of the things that don’t mean anything. Figuring out what those things are might take you a while, but never stop trying to do so.

March to the beat of your own drummer. Everybody says that. Few actually do it.

Never approach something faster than you want to hit it. Especially when driving. That advice came to me from some longtime paramedics who got sick and tired of scraping people off of roads. Drive like you got some sense.

Opinions are like belly buttons and other parts of our anatomy; everyone has one. Not everyone has one that matters. Learn the difference.

Perfection is possible – as proof, look at baseball’s perfect game and listen to “Moon River” -- but nobody’s perfect. To be human is to be imperfect.

Quit while you’re ahead. And remember that sometimes you might need to quit before you get further behind.

Running late is better than not running at all.

Spend time like it’s the most precious thing on earth, because at the end of the day it is, but give your time freely whenever and wherever and however you can.

Tell those you love that every chance you get, even if they get tired of hearing it.

Understand that the world doesn’t owe you anything, but that none of the mess we’re in is your fault.

Value what is worthwhile in others, and yourself. Also, if vinyl siding melts in the sun it shouldn’t be put on houses that cost $100,000 — let alone $450,000.

Watch your language. Talk in public like you do around your mother, unless of course you cuss in front of your mother. Then you should wash your mouth out with soap and try hard to do better.

Xenophobia will make you poorer. Do not do unto others as you would not have them do unto you. I’m told that’s actually a golden rule in the East, and it makes sense. Treat people the way you want to be treated. Or don’t treat them the way you don’t want to be treated. It’s not necessarily the same thing.

You are blessed in ways that a large part of the world’s population will never know. Never forget that.

Zeitgeist is overrated. Zebras, and zoography, and zephyrs, are not.

Now, go save what’s left of the planet from the greedy developers and their henchpeople before it’s too late.

Now retired, Whitten is an occasional columnist for the Bryan County News.