"This is Water": A Message for New Graduates
 

David Foster Wallace was an award winning author who suffered from depression. He gave a commencement speech called "This is Water." This is a part of that speech. It's about first world problems graduates will encounter. This video runs about nine minutes, but is probably the best commencement address I've ever heard.

BTW: Wallace committed suicide by hanging himself three years later after giving this speech. He was 46 years old.

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I do my grocery shopping on sunday nights

im 2+ years into this life. I value my weekends a shit ton more now. Weeks go by super fast being on a 12 hour schedule every day during the week. I'm basically poorer now than I was before I had a ft job since I had little to no bills. Being an adult sucks.

things like this get me through my weeks though
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The little shits have NO idea what they are in for

whatam I in for old man

Great speech.

Wow. Don't post this in DC some heads could explode.

Great find!

The sad part is I'm not that old.

Work at the same fulltime job for 5-10 years and report back though.

Its better to be ignorant my friend. The news will come soon enough.

Find a job you love. It doesn't have to pay the most money, just enough to get by.

I don't see his point.

This guy suffered from depression? :eek: No way.

Just listening to that makes me want to off myself. ;)

If I'm being completely honest, I have mundane, routine things I do in my life (we all do) every day and I never have viewed it like this. Yes a lot of those situations (boredom, routine & petty frustrations) as he mentioned happen but they're generally short lived and you get over it. Where's the example in his story where the guy comes home after the grocery store and gets the worlds biggest welcome from his kid who is so excited to see him?

I thought it was a little over dramatic.

Strange speech for a writer

I get by the mundane in a bit different way. I silently make fun of just about everyone I see. I'm in the line at the store with a grin because I'm thinking that the guy in front of me looks like Bozo the clown, etc. I don't do road rage. I fatface people. I simply look at them and make a "fat face". They usually go away. Especially if they are fat.

Life is too short to be stressed by things like traffic, lines, idiots, etc. I liked the speech. It is about choices.