Mary Schmich (”Schmeek”) is a retired American journalist and columnist, who wrote for the Chicago Tribune for most of her career. She won a Pulitzer Prize for Commentary in 2012, for, the Pulitzer prize ran, “her wide range of down-to-earth columns that reflect the character and capture the culture of her famed city.”

This is her most famous piece, a column that appeared on the first of June 1997 as a mock-graduation speech. Graduation or commencement addresses are commonplace environment for wise elders to dispense knowing life advice to young people setting out on life’s road.

In those pre-social media days it still went viral, through word of mouth and early email, but it was really made famous by the Australian film director Baz Luhrmann, who set it to music and released it on an album in 1999.

You can read the piece here

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Music Credit:

Once Upon a Time by Alex-Productions | ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://onsound.eu/⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠  | Music promoted by https://www.free-stock-music.com