Besides tech, life takes making memories by just being, speaker tells S.Range grads

CANFIELD

The new high school is surrounded by wide-open spaces, split-rail fences, horses and cows.

Yet even at rural South Range High School, the graduates of 2012 have a love affair with their phones and technology, the Rev. Melinda Q. Lacefield of Mount Olivet Church said Saturday at commencement ceremonies.

The Rev. Mrs. Lacefield said the ability of this generation to divide their attention among various tasks at the same time — many of them involving phones, computers and other devices — “is important, but it doesn’t leave the time we need to enjoy one another.”

Mrs. Lacefield, whose youngest child was one of the 95 South Range graduates to receive his diploma Saturday, said she’s not sure 18-year-olds realize how much technology affects the way they relate to one another.

She urged the class to “think about taking time, about slowing down and enjoying life to the fullest, opening yourselves up to love and being loved in return, playing sports, being part of the team, the band or the choir, knowing you’re loved by God, by your family and your friends.”

Mrs. Lacefield repeated what the experts have told this generation about the “soft” skills they need to succeed in the workplace.

“Look people in the eye and be fully present,” she said. “I’m not saying multi-tasking is bad because it’s not. I’m saying part of life is just being. It’s so important to your family and your friendships, the things that make life memorable, livable. It takes gentleness, it takes noticing those tender, small details.”

For the complete story and photos, read Sunday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.