Note to a Friend during Graduation

~4 min read

Note 02/25/2026: I wrote this to a friend after graduating High School. I remember this being heavily inspired by Hunter S. Thompson’s letter to a friend, which you can find online. I don’t think I wrote this from any place of ego, but perhaps to prove to myself that I could live up to expectations of progress as well. I haven’t significantly proofread this letter, besides omitting names and certain details.

Yo what’s up big guy, i’m writing a letter to you built upon the basis that a letter for graduation must be profound due to the grandeur and monumentality of such an event (at least in our immersed culture). Likewise, such an event and a letter based on such an event feels right that it be profound. It feels more wrong though, at least on a personal level, to write a card of profound words without any actual tangible meaning meant beforehand. It is disingenuous to say the least, and will have the same effect. Alas, allow me to get on with my ramblings, profound or not I will let you decide.

With the end of one era of our life we are thrust, usually uncomfortably down into a new one. We rise from high school as if it were from a mountain top, for a moment feel what it is to be at an altitude of unmatched achievement, and then gravity pulls us down into a valley of uneasy inexperience, for which we must rise out of again. We got through high school, scrapes and all, now sashed in accolades and most likely financial gain, and are put in a world where graduation isn’t enough, now that a life is over, a new (real) one can begin. High School was mostly linear in how we approached it; Work was put before us and we chose to do it or not, to which we were rewarded or not in a linear fashion—up or down. Worth was also judged based on linearity. Your worth to peers and teachers and parents was based not on your passions and experiences, but on a handful of letters on a piece of paper, that did nothing to tell who you really are. Luckily, or for some unluckily, the future will not be so linear.

A person of great wealth and material accomplishment might be seen as higher in finance than a poor man, but that does not necessitate his quality of life in virtue, love, self actualization, and so on. Such a man might have a terrible relationship, no passion, or outlets to express himself—even given his great material wealth. Like these outcomes, the paths you choose to follow what you want may differ. Your success and life hereinafter are not based on something as binary as trying or not trying, but on what you choose to try at. Will you choose to devote yourself to human compassion? a profession? Artistic expression?

No choice, at least from the perspective of an utterly indifferent universe is invalid. Some may judge you, but they are judging from their perspectives, not yours. Everyone will value something different. Many people don’t even follow their own beliefs, they are blinded by others and emotions that they themselves follow halfheartedly and blindly without thought to reason or why they follow such ideas in the first place, other than “everyone does it” or “It’s how my parents taught me”. The world is filled with these kinds of people, so don’t worry about others’ opinions, especially that of strangers, in deciding how you express yourself, who you try to be, and what you chose to pursue; Life is much too short for that.

Not that you asked for advice, but as I said the time feels right to give advice given the fork in the road. (Seeing as this is just letters on paper, feel free to ignore it all as well.) Choose to devote yourself to what speaks to you, and devote yourself wholeheartedly to said task. I believe that having no purpose leads to an unfulfilled life, and doing what you truly care about will lead to the best possible quality of existence. Not to quote the Bible (because the quote is about slaves), but this sums it up well enough: Whatever you do, whatever your task may be, work from the soul. That is, put in your very best effort.