At my daughter's BYU commencement we were advised, "America is still the country of a second chance. Most of us end up needing one," by Dick Cheney.
At my daughter's alternative commencement were asked, "Are our schools and our churches and our families places where we learn how to transform ourselves, where we are free to apply the lessons of history in the present, and where we are rewarded for thinking and not merely obeying, where we can be creative and thoughtful and human?" by organizer Ashley Sanders.
All three of these thoughts are about visionary thinking, looking foward even when "Plan A" doesn't go as expected, and asking ourselves tough questions as we seek our ideals. I'm glad that I heard the speakers at all three events, and that I'm still pondering how this all fits together.