One Man’s Opinion: Graduation Day

By Bill Crane

Some of the most treasured and recalled rites of spring passage lie just ahead of us. From kindergarten through college, as well as post-graduate and doctoral studies, we have the time-honored tradition of Graduation Day. As late March and April bring us baseball opening day, cherry blossom and dogwood trees in bloom, proms and spring brides aplenty, you can already hear the strains of “Pomp and Circumstance” wafting from school gymnasiums and stadiums by high school orchestras and college bands.

Though I do a reasonable amount of public speaking, I have only once had the honor or distinction of addressing a graduation ceremony. I have attended plenty and will be in Auburn, Alabama in just a couple more weeks to celebrate the accomplishments of one of my twin nieces as she completes her studies at Auburn University. And though my graduations, from high school and later college, are now more decades ago than I care to admit, I can also still remember my elementary school class singing, “We’ve Only Just Begun,” as we completed those early years in the DeKalb County School District at the aptly named Heritage Elementary, my thoughts wander to what I wish some of my graduation speakers might have shared – not just aspirations and platitudes, but some additional how-to basics on the benefits of perseverance, work ethic, and attitude.

I could not be prouder of my firstborn, an honored scholar, hired immediately out of her undergraduate studies, now a young mother, educator, and entrepreneur, starting a business while raising a family. But as I interview and attempt to hire and place or even give guidance to many of her Generation Z and even Millennial peers, I find an incredibly significant gap between their expectations and reality. Though I remained involved with my college fraternity and leadership training for young men, I am particularly concerned about the long term paths of the male half of our species.

And yes, I am both binary and traditionalist in noting our two primary genders and their differences while also noting that we should build, create, and deliver a world where everyone has a place and value. To tomorrow’s graduates and later this spring, you ARE special. You have the world and your lives ahead of you.

However, in business and multiple career paths, I have found no silver bullet or guaranteed quick path to success which did not involve some combination of these traits and priorities: hard work, long hours, sacrifice, and spending many a night and weekend at the grindstone, paying dues, learning the ropes, and simply toiling at many of life’s learning curves. There are few substitutes for kindness and treating others as you would prefer yourself and those you care about being treated.

Your 20s and 30s may bring some frivolous choices and excess, but also look around for signs of addiction and dependency and again help your friends whose only good times seem to involve seeking or acquiring some mind or mood-altering substance to shift bad times into good. The reality which they may be fleeing will still be there in the morning. Given the surges in teen depression, anxiety, and suicide, while our parents and grandparents are here to help, and may also have contributed to some of these challenges, it is from your peer group as well as mental health professionals that you will most likely find a solution.

Today and your tomorrows are here to celebrate. But almost any accomplishment worth completing, like the diplomas coming to you soon, was preceded by years of hard work. You now have the technology and information at your fingertips that the world’s most outstanding scholars would never have had the resources or time to consume. Exercise regular-

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Travel Tales: The New Norm in Travel

By Pam Walker

The pandemic is over, and the world is experiencing a “re-birth” of travel. Passenger numbers at airports worldwide are now almost as high as in 2019 – and in some places, higher!

Europe is at an all-time high for travelers, and Italy has all but shut down reservations for this summer. There are few hotel rooms or tour guides to help people experience Rome, Florence, and Venice.

Hotel rates are also at an all-time high. The deluxe hotels everywhere are selling out at rates of $1,000 plus per night. Yes, there are some hostels and 3-star hotels available in other parts of Europe, but for the most part, it is hard to find a hotel room for under $500 per night.

Finding employees for tour offices, hotels, and airlines has been an ongoing challenge. A lot of this is because people have become accustomed to working from home and where there is Wi-Fi, and those who lost their jobs in tourism during the pandemic also found other forms of employment.

Now we have a new phenomenon that we will have to deal with. It is called “dynamic pricing”! The airlines have used this system for years to fill plane seats. When a flight is empty, the price goes down to sell seats.

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