Amoebas at the start
Were not complex;
They tore themselves apart
And started Sex.
Arthur Guiterman
I found that the other day on my Bookshelf CD and found it to be quite amusing. Ha Ha. I'm in a very content, relaxed mood today. It rained the entire day so I put off going to the beach until tomorrow. I've just been sitting (and sleeping) here at home reading all of my wonderful travel mail. I was looking through the travel guides from many of the states and from other countries around the world. I get this stuff all the time from National Geographic Traveler and Southern Living and I love it. To travel is my compassion and my lifelong goal is to travel the world. My most sought after destinations are in Europe. I'm the biggest anglophile in the world. I'm expecting, and can't wait for, my next letter from Tracey. Thinking about traveling always put me in a hopeful, enthusiastic mood for my future.
Speaking of the future, my nice little article about the class of 1992's challenges in the future was printed in the paper today. I had originally planned on using that as my graduation speech, but the paper came due and it was about the same thing anyway, so I turned it in. I much preferred the thirty-second last-minute version anyways. Well here is my first published work:
Reforms are needed in the way we live
By DAN B. SKINNER
The future ahead of the class of 1992 seems bright. It always does. But our children will feel the effects of our misguided society if we do not soon make needed reforms.
With great hope I desire a clean world of peace and prosperity, but only through our generation's work can we even attempt to acheive these goals.
A major refoem that needs to be made is that of our public education system. As other countries continuously improve and emphasize their schooling, the united States finds it feasable to cut back the money to an already ailing system.
The only way to combat the wrongs of society - such as hunger, homelessness, and racism - is through education and our country seems to be moving entirely in the wrong direction. As the nation's leaders strive for an era of world peace, it seems that less money should be spent on military goals and more on the children who are finding it harder to learn with less. The government's priorities must be set straight.
Another important issue which has not yet found itself important in the minds of the government, and the people, is the environment. true, people will say that they conserve water or recycle aluminum cans. This is a good start, but still is not enough.
Large industries must be pressured to clean themselves up. This can only be acheived when the people stop buying from the companies that dump wastes into the water and toxic fumes into the air. These companies are continuously revealed to us through environmental groups, thus ignorance is not an excuse. Costs will go up, but that is the price we must pay if we hope to save our world.
On a brighter note, as the economy slowly seems to be improving, we will be graduating from college and graduate school in a time when the careers that we are striving for will be more readily available.
Those of us that wish to work in the field of medicine will be benefitted by the ever growing trend towards being healthy, as well as the opprtunities to reasearch and possibly find the cures for AIDS and cancer.
Those moving into politics can find themselves playing an extremely important role in the future. Besides acting on the needed reforms mentioned above, they can take up foreign relations and help promote U.S. relationships with the many new countries who have just recently declared independance from communistic rule, as well as help these countries pave their way to a long and happy existence.
And we must never forget the tradesmen. The world needs its mechanics and construction workers. Without them we could never expand our world, or keep what is already here in good condition.
There seems to be a comfortable place waiting for all the graduates of the class of 1992 in the future, and hopefully we will make beneficial differences that will impact the world foe generation to come.
About the writer
Dan B. Skinner, 17, is the 1992 valedictorian of Leto high School. He is a member of the National Honor Society, National Beta Club, Mu Alpha Theta, and the Ecology Club. His honors include Best Science Student and ITT/Chamber of Commerce Student of the Year. Skinner plans to attend the University of Florida in the fall and major in medicine. He hopes to someday practice medicine in England or Germany. He is the son of Jim and Ellen Skinner.
Along with a nice little picture. Boy I was in a pessimistic mood at the end of the year. I guess I was just bummed out and I didn't really want to write them a paper at all. Now I wish that I would have spent a little more time on it because it sounded to choppy, and too liberal (ha ha)! Here's my graduation speech. I finally found it.
Good evening. The future ahead of us has a lot in store for the class of 1992. Some of us will become doctors, teachers, and some of us engineers. No matter what you decide to become, it is important to choose a career in which you will be happy, and in which you can grow to your greatest potential. You should not choose your job just because it is easy, or for the money involved.
The goals that you set for yourself should test both your mental and physical abilities. Set your goals high and never underestimate yourself. By doing so, your accomplishments in life will be that much greater.
This class has a lot to offer the world and I hope you all will work your hardest to contribute.
And finally I would like to thank my parents for all of their help and support over the last 17 years.
Thank you and Good Night!
Short and sweet. I was also honored with Cindy a couple of weeks ago in the St. Pete Times. There was a big color photo of each of us with a big biography on me and three lines on her. I remember her telling me how she was pissed about going back to school just to give them that little bit of information.
VAledictorian: Daniel Brett Skinner
Age: 17
Plans: University of Florida, engineering or medicine
Extracurricular activities: National Honor Society; Beta Club; Key Club; Students Against Drunk Driving; Mu Alpha Theta; Class Capers Awards: Best Science Student; ITT/Chamber of Commerce Student of the Year; Tampa Tribune Honor Student; Marine Corps Academic Excellence Award; English PRIDE winner; Who's Who in American High Schools
Thoughts: I really have mixed emotions about leaving high school right now. I'm glad that it's finally over, and I'm very proud of the accomplishments I have made here, But I'm going to miss not being with all my friends. Many of us have been together for over five years and we are almost each other's second family. It's hard to leave behind all the good times, and the bad times, but we must move on and do our very best at life.
I really like that paragraph alot. I was damn proud after I wrote it. It sounds so sentimental and perfect, much better than the other valedictorians' thoughts. I was impressed with myself.
We got our report cards the other day. I got B,B,A,B,A,B,A. Mr. Thomas, my AP physics teacher, swore that I was getting a C. I never told my parents and sort of hoped I would be home when it came. It wouldn't have been a big deal though. I was happy as hell when I saw that I made the high honor roll.
We also saw me on the Best of the Class commercial for the first time the other night. We recorded it and kept watching it over and over again. It looked kind of crappy but not as bad as I had feared. I also found out that I got a letter from Lawton Chiles, the governor, that went:
Dear Daniel:
Congratulations on your recent graduation from high school and mor importantly your selection as valedictorian. The effort you have put forth through the years will serve you well as you move ahead to college and beyond.
and so on... Then he goes into saying how he is, "firmly committed to Florida's education system," which is a bunch of fucking bullshit! But I appreciated the thought even though it's just a form letter from a lying Democrat.
I've been having an exceptionally fun time at Busch Gardens lately. So much that I'd love to work until closing every day! I was hoping this morning that he'd call me in to work, but oh well. I love the people and I love talking and messing around with the other employees. The Tidal Wave got a gorgeous new girl named Sonya. She has long light brown hair and looks part European, maybe French or Italian. She couldn't get the change machine to work so I asked her if she needed change. I'll always cherish that dollar bill. I still have the fifty cents that Cindy used to buy M&Ms from me once. I like collecting money, even if the value is only sentimental. My passion is two dollar bills. I have fourteen of them, one that is an uncirculated one that is stamped and postmarked, and two that have in order serial numbers. That's neat.
I was eating with Amanda and she had just gone to the bathroom just before. I ordered two servings of fries and a piece of Black Forest cake. She ordered a hot dog and fries and when I saw her pick up a fork I asked her why. She told me that she decided to eat some of my cake. She even ate my cherry! She was trying to sneak a crossword magazine up to the lifts. I asked her where she was planning on hiding it and she told me in her shirt. I told her it would be kind of obvious if she were suddenly flat chested. She told me to watch and she pulls out the top of her shirt and tucks the magazine into her pants. I only saw her full tits (covered unfortunately) but this is from a very conservative seventeen year old. And she new I did, and if she was trying to attract me it worked.
Anyways, I'm getting my wit back now. Andre and I judge about every girl that comes by. Michelle came in on Monday with a really hot friend. A few minutes earlier a really good looking girl came up and Andre asked me if that was my kind of woman. I said yes, and after Michelle got in the boat, I told him that so was she. We then discussed whether or not we thought she had sex. Afterwards I told him hands off that she was mine, and it was funny. Well, my lust for Michelle is known now. Later I told Billy and he said if anything did go between us, not to tell the supervisors or one of us would get transferred. Lately she and I have been getting the most scheduled hours out of all of the seasonals. The past two weeks I've had 39 hours or above scheduled. If they keep me around that much somebody must like me.
I was off at 4:15 yesterday and Amanda worked until closing. I jokingly told her that I'd stay until closing for her. She was all hopeful and tried to beg me to stay for her. In any other circumstances I would have but I already promised to be home early for spaghetti. She told me that was mean, and was like holding a steak out to a hungry puppy and then pulling it away. Then I told her she must have a pretty low self-esteem to compare herself to a dog, and besides I know that my offering was as good as steak. She thought that was real cute and we both laughed.
Well, tomorrow I hope to get a nice burn tomorrow. Friday I face both Kim and Michelle. I can only hope.
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