Dr Bonnet's 2010 Commencement Speech at Sussex County Community CollegeMay 20, 2010

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Dear Graduates, Administration, faculty, family and friends,

Good evening.

I would like to start off by thanking Sussex County Community College for the opportunity to be a part of this special occasion and speak with you.

Tonight is a proud night for all. For the college celebrating it’s twenty third graduation and largest class, for parents and family members and most importantly for the  graduates. Yes it is a proud night, it is a night to look your graduate in the eye and give a genuine congratulations, job well done. It is a night for grandparents to stand tall as perhaps their grandchildren accomplished things they could have only dreamed of. We may take for granted a college degree, we are blessed to live in a nation  that recognizes the value of educating it’s citizens and we are blessed to have the opportunity to pursue a college degree right here in Sussex County. Several decades ago this college was but a dream, today it is a gem in the hills of Sussex county. For those that don’t know this school was a seminary. In the corner to my left is a prayer grotto. It truly is a special place in our bucolic county. I have been warned to keep it short and will. I may at times speak fast to get it all in.

Embarking on a college degree is not unlike choosing to climb a mountain. I don’t know how many of you have hiked, I have tackled several peaks in the Green and White Mountains of New England. At the onset it may seem like an insurmountable task, enthusiasm or apprehension as the journey begins, fatigue midway and ultimately accomplishment, success, the mountain top. Once there, ones horizons are no longer the same. The world cannot look as it was. Boundaries are crossed and new mountains can be seen. This is what I invite all of you to see. Your new horizons. Friends you have met, teachers that have influenced you, knowledge you have gained are all part of you new perspective. Look out far and see, see paths that previously were not, See mountains that you can climb. See distances that before were hidden.

I am not certain who made the decision to ask me to be your graduation speaker I am humbled at the request. I do know the work I do in Haiti had some influence on the decision and I will share with you a bit of why and how I have been working there for the past 14 years. For me it was and is a journey of faith. I sensed my calling and believe each and everyone of us can find that calling. Not necessarily to help in Haiti, that was my call yours is for each and everyone of you to find. Let me explain, we exist as humans not just in flesh but in mind, body and spirit. I profess that we are spirit beings that reside in the physicality of our bodies.  Today you have attained a step of development in your mind, this is good we must exercise our mind our body and our spirit. To ignore any part thereof leaves us weakened. When I spoke of finding my calling. In some vast incomprehensible way each and everyone of our lives has importance from a larger perspective, each and everyone of us is here for a reason.  Some may choose to live their lives without finding or searching for that reason, which I am sure is fine others may choose to find that course and let it flow. I encourage all of you to see the world as a place where you have a reason and there is a course for you. Find it, let it flow.

You may ask or say, this all sounds good but how do I find the course, I will tell you your heart is your compass, not your mind. When at a crossroads or decision making point, ask your heart, if it feels right it is. If your heart tells you it is wrong it probably is as well. We have in fact a built in moral and ethical barometer. It remains in our hearts. Trust your gut feeling. Some of you may find your calling or journey at a young age, others may take time. My advice is do not tire and never give up, stay strong, stay focused . I sensed a higher purpose or calling at a young age but didn’t find my path until middle age. I had a dream and followed it for the past 14 years, it is now coming to fruition. The earthquake in Haiti triggeredthe formation of the Healing Haiti Fund and more specifically our SanteBus project We are building a strong team with many friends and colleagues from right here in Sussex County, we are a homegrown team.

Be conscious participants in your lives journey, what I am saying here is that as you live your lives be aware, be alert, recognize that your actions and words have consequences.  Be kind, be honest, feel for others. We are living in a delicate balance with the world around us. As a collective human race our actions affect the ecosystem and the environment, nature exists not alone but with us. We must raise a heightened awareness as to how our actions impact that environment. I am not speaking of global warming I am speaking of being aware and thinking before acting. Not long ago in my youth we tossed garbage out the window and in the ocean with reckless abandon. It was a nation wide litter campaign in the 60’s that changed this behavior. How many of our actions now may have a grave consequence on the future natural environment. Think before acting, feel before deciding. We all will witness the consequences of our mistakes in oil drilling. Not that drilling for oil is wrong, drilling without caution for major leaks is.

You have grown up in a time of news 24 hours,  you have witnessed a Wall Street meltdown, learn from this, see the inherent wrong of money at all costs, violating basic principles of honesty and integrity.  You can be the generation that restores the American Dream. Let your word mean something and let your commitment to your word mean even more. Let your handshake be square and have value. Search for a lives course that has meaning and not just search for wealth, it will not bring you happiness. Feel for others, comfort a friend.

Last year I had the good fortune of working with many of the students in your theater program. I was one of the members of the cast of Man of La Mancha. Perhaps the most memorable and known song from the play is The Impossible Dream, the lyrics state – to dream the impossible dream, to beat the unbeatable foe, to fight with your last ounce of courage to go where  the brave dare not go. These have always been very inspirational words to me. I dream of a better tomorrow for all. I dream of a world unified and seeing the oneness of our humanity. I dream of food for all and work and shelter for all. I encourage you to join in that dream. To see the world a better place and right the unrightable wrong. We can make a difference.  We do have a social and moral obligation towards future generations. There is a social responsibility of being part of the human race. We need to rise to that responsibility and do our share.

We are living in blessed times, we are living in a blessed country. Our needs and wants are few and we must recognize that good fortune and give back. The forefathers of this nation sacrificed much, your past generations sacrificed much We have not sacrficied we have enjoyed the fruits of previous generations labors. Our cupboards are full, our needs are few. I realize this may not apply to all , but I would bet there are few present today who will go to bed hungry. We as modern day citizens of America live vey well compared to the rest of the world. A world where there are 6 billion people, 4 billion have, 2 billion have not,  2 billion have never enjoyed running warm water or sat on a toilet. This may seem incomprehensible but it is true. I challenge you all to share our good fortune with others and show the world we are a very caring nation.  

Service to others. That is the challenge I make of you, how can you live your life to serve others? Not necessarily in some far off island or continent but right here as well in Sussex County, reach out and give back. You may not be rewarded with material wealth for such acts, I believe our pay comes in fulfillment of spirit in our heart. 

It also opens the door I referred to before as our spirit path. In giving we receive. We do not give to receive we give freely but the gift in return is our reward.  See the world as your golden opportunity to make a difference and make it. Dream of a better tomorrow and work towards that dream. Along the way you will find that path.. Scientifically the thought process or dream processes creates an energy, as we see more clearly and dream more we give more energy to that thought process Eventually that energy attains enough mass as to create reality. Therefore dream of a wonderful journey for yourselves and you in fact help make that dream a reality. If you dream of darkness you will have darkness, if you dream of light you will have light, very simple not complex. We all have days or times of darkness the goal is to re-light the light. See that darkness as a path to the light of your lives.  Apprehension, fear, self doubt, hatred, anger, jealousy, these are all emotions that serve you not, love, compassion, kindness, confidence, forgiveness, belief that your life has a real meaning, are all emotions that will serve you well.

Finally it is written in Luke 28-14  ‘To those that much is given, much is expected” I am telling all of you that you have been given much.  I do not imagine that when this was written tey were refereeing to material wealth although that counts, Our gifts that we have been given might be our knowledge base. Our musical or artistic gifts. Our physical gifts, our people skill gifts, all of us , yes all of us have been  given gifts. I believe much is expected. It is in your hands to decide if you give back.
May your lives journeys be blessed, may each and everyone of you make the world a better place.