“A graduation ceremony is an event where the commencement speaker tells thousands of students dressed in identical caps and gowns that 'individuality' is the key to success.”

- Robert Orben

This is the weekend that, for some, has been 12 years in the making (though for me it took 13). Throughout Cayuga County, and all across America, parents will gush with pride and snap pictures as their babies don tassels and gowns to walk across a stage and become not just graduates, but adults as well.

So in honor of those about to receive their diplomas this week's column will be an open letter to all who are about to throw their caps in the air.

Dear Class of 2009,

Congratulations on your achievement, all the hard work has paid off and now it's time to gear up for whatever lies ahead of you and what that will be, will be totally up to you. The whole world is yours for the taking, all you have to do is figure out how it works and that, my dears, is a mystery that can't be Googled, it's a lesson you'll have to learn through experience, so prepare to get your hands dirty.

Now, kids, I don't want to scare you, there is a lot of doom and gloom about the workforce that you're about to enter as of late but, rest assured, you will find a job. With that in mind, I have to warn you, you are about to get a bit of a culture shock when you do decide to finally get a position with a company because even though you've studied and mastered the skills to work on the most state of the art technology to earn your diplomas, sadly, most of the equipment used in the “real world” is about 10 to 20 years old so, let's hope you took a history class or two. Something else to keep in mind as you head out into the world is, unless you're going to actually work at a tattoo parlor you may want to cover that ink up a bit before filling out any job applications. I know that probably feels to you as though you're #”selling out#” but, trust me, a little assimilation goes a long way when it comes to your professional status. Otherwise, the only machine you'll end up raging against is a dishwasher.

Also, you might want to patch up any quarrels you started with people you went to class with because life has a funny way of turning things around and it can be a little awkward having to interview with the guy you used to pick on in gym class.

But do have some fun with your futures, try not to put too much pressure on yourselves for you never know what can happen. In fact, take it from me, the guy who failed English three times and somehow ended up being a writer, it just goes to show that where you end up is usually a lot further from where you started. Good luck.

Auburn native Bradley Molloy's column appears here, each

Sunday. He can be reached at lovonian@hotmail.com