【正文】
cation you hardly ever notice at the time. Itamp。39。s the expectations and examples around you, the ideals you believe in, and the friends you make. In my time, they spoke of the amp。quot。Yale man.amp。quot。 I was really never sure what that was. But I do think that Iamp。39。m a better man because of Yale. All universities, at their best, teach that degrees and honors are far from the full measure of life. Nor is that measure taken in wealth or in titles. What matters most are the standards you live by, the consideration you show others, and the way you use the gifts you are given. Now you leave Yale behind, carrying the written proof of your success here, at a college older than America. When I left here, I didnamp。39。t have much in the way of a life plan. I knew some people who thought they did. But it turned out that we were all in for ups and downs, most of them unexpected. Life takes its own turns, makes its own demands, writes its own story. And along the way, we start to realize we are not the author. We begin to understand that life is ours to live, but not to waste, and that the greatest rewards are found in the mitments we make with our whole hearts to the people we love and to the causes that earn our sacrifice. I hope that each of you will know these rewards. I hope you will find them in your own way and your own time. For some, that might mean some time in public service. And if you hear that calling, I hope you answer. Each of you has unique gifts and you were given them for a reason. Use them and share them. Public service is one way an honorable way to mark your life with meaning. Today I visit not only my alma mater, but the city of my birth. My life began just a few blocks from here, b