Perfection is a goal we should strive for, although we may never achieve it. It is an ideal we cannot realize, a destination we can never reach -- yet all the more compelling because of its unattainable nature. Perfection fuels our accomplishments. It sits upon our horizon; we move forward, yet it recedes as we approach.

Perhaps the lifelong struggle begins in infancy, when one baby is content to settle for her thumb, while another gropes for the brightly colored mobile just out of reach.

But as that striving child matures, she discovers that she can't be all things to all people. If she manages to please Mother by blazing a trail in the corporate world, then how can she fulfill Father's dream of seeing her as a shaper of public policy, stamping the family name upon historic legislation? Besides, what if she really wants to be a ballerina?

So what if you would rather lie on the grass and look for shapes in the clouds? That's what retirement's for. For now, you have to get into college, then grad school. Pause for a single moment and someone else may take the lead. Fun is a luxury you cannot afford.

Is there any way out? Should you admit that you're not all that superior to the so-called "norm"? Will the admission of a single mistake start an inevitable slide into poverty and disgrace? Do you often feel like you are playing a part and hiding your true self? Are you constantly asking yourself rhetorical questions? And why are you dating the captain of the football team -- because you like him, or because he's who he is and you're who you are and others don't care to question the equation?

So remember: There can be only one valedictorian, but there is no limit to the number of people who can try to be valedictorian and fail. So whether you are up on that podium on graduation day, or sitting way in the back making fun of me, always do your very best -- never mind the terrible, terrible toll it may take on your spirit.

Have a great summer!