Don't Wait for the World to Change - Be a World Changer!

My dad, Dr. William Anthony Mason

This past Saturday, Baker College conferred a Doctor of Humane Letters degree upon upon my "70-something-year-old" dad.   This auspicious accolade is proof that it's never too late to realize dreams and reap the harvest that only comes from sowing the seeds of hard work, sacrificed time, energy, emotions; and yes, money.   

As recipient of this most coveted honor; and as part of his duty as a Trustee of the Board of Regents, Dad addressed the Graduating Class of 2011.  I would like to share a portion of his speech with you:

In 2006 a young song writer, musician, singer wrote a song that’s still popular today. Some of you have the song on your iPods and iPhones.

The young man’s name is John Mayer and the name of the song is Waiting On The World to change.

In case you don’t know the song I’ll read a few verses: It goes like this

Me and my friends

We’re all misunderstood

They say we stand for nothing and

There’s no way we ever could

Now we see everything’s that’s going wrong

With the world and those who lead it

We just feel like we don’t have the means

To rise and beat it

So we keep waiting.  Waiting On the World to change.

It’s hard to beat the system

When we’re standing at a distance

So we keep waiting. Waiting on the world to change.

Now if we had the power

To bring our neighbors home from war

They would never have missed a Christmas

 No more yellow ribbons on the door

It’s not that we don’t care

We just know that this fight ain’t fair

So we keep on waiting, Waiting on the world to change

One day our generation

Is going to rule the population

So we keep waiting, waiting on the world to change

Like John Mayer and his friends, some of you are waiting on the world to change.

As you wait for the world around you to change, you feel powerless to do anything about it. You are disillusioned and troubled by:

• Public policies that don’t help the public
• Government policies that benefit big business
• Emergency Managers with the power to void union contracts
• The high cost of a college education
• The reduction of the Michigan Tuition Grant and PELL grants

• Teachers, Policemen and Firemen being laid off.
• Public schools and libraries closing
• Corruption in local and state government
• High unemployment and you also realize that’s not to early to be concerned about the threat to end Medicare and Social Security

And these are just some of the issues that you face.

Well, if you just keep on waiting, the world will change, but the change may not be the change that you’ve been waiting on.

The changes that you are waiting on CANNOT be made from the outside. Substantial and lasting change to current practices, policies and laws CANNOT be made from the outside, from a distance

Substantial changes are made in the board rooms of business and government. That’s where the major decisions are made. You will have to get on the inside to have a voice and a vote.

In the years ahead you need to get on the inside. You do that by pursuing positions on community boards, school boards, city council, county commissions, and other local and state public office.

And when you get into these positions of power and influence, and many of you will, remember, that former generations, like me, your parents and grandparents,

And future generations, like your children, your nieces and nephews are waiting on you to change our world.

I encourage you and I challenge to stop waiting on the world to change and begin the work to change the world.

Good luck to all of you and, I’ll see you at the top.