The Class of 2026 is waving goodbye to research papers, standardized testing and restroom passes. Graduation is here, and most seniors can’t wait for their big day.

When a teen graduates from high school, we hope they’ve been taught the academic basics. Those skills include algebra, the history of the world and the difference between bring and take.

In between academics, we hope they know how to wash clothes, watch out for credit card scams and what to do in case of a fender bender.

Practical knowledge is out there on the Internet. There’s no need to guess how to fold a fitted sheet or how to build a bookshelf. YouTube, Google and Chat GPT have the answers.

But life is more than practicality. Here’s a few examples of the intangibles we hope you take with you on this next phase of your life.

Know when to leave the laundry and homework for a walk outside. Listen to your emotions and your body and escape digital noise for a few minutes. Put the phone away and listen to the birds sing and feel the breeze on your skin.

Remember what’s important and what’s not. Going out with friends is important. Some memories stay with you throughout your life while others fade. Some of those friends will be with you for life. Most you’ll never see again. Learn to tell the two apart.

Not to sound like a cranky oldster, before texting, we actually talked to each other. Young people might call that the “old ways,” but they’re useful, even when you’re surrounded by technology.

So much information is available at the touch of a button. But when knowledge is gleaned from a computer screen and keyboard, there’s a loss of human connection. Some things are best learned person to person.

Teaching these intangible skills to someone you love, or having someone you love to explain them, often leaves a loving or funny memory. Those experiences are something artificial intelligence hasn’t been able to capture.

Listen to the stories from your grandparents and parents. So often, the events that made them who they are aren’t written down. You only get that information when you talk to them.

Knowing how your parents met, who their friends were in high school and their favorite movie growing up is priceless information.

There are a few more worthwhile intangibles, Class of 2026. Your parents or teachers might’ve been hard on you over the past four years. They had so much to teach you and so little time left. Understand they were coming from a position of love.

Practice chatting with another person. Before cell phones, we’d strike up a conversation with the person sitting next to us in the doctor’s office, on a slow elevator, or in a long line.

You will gain knowledge from strangers. Sometimes you’ll hear worthless information, but often, strangers that come across your path will create a wonderful memory. Put down the phone and have a real face-to-face conversation.

Along with talking to someone, remember to listen. Stop talking or figuring out what your response is going to be when someone’s talking to you.

Pay attention with your ears and your heart to what someone is trying to tell you. Before you answer, make sure you’re validating what the other person is saying and then state your point. All the knowledge in the world won’t help if you can’t listen.

People have memories, experiences and knowledge you can’t find anywhere else. Soak it all up before you head out into the world and practice all your life. The old ways are more useful now than ever before.

Best of luck, graduates! Make us proud.

 

This column was originally published in The Fort Bend Herald.