Delivered by a distinguished gentleman in his later life.

Having passed the first two-score and 10 years in my life, and realizing that the more sand that has escaped from the hour glass of life the clearer we should see through it, I find myself more prone to meditate and philosophize.

My life has been rich.  But there have been regrets, regrets which you too will experience in time.  These regrets can largely be grouped as "thing I wish I had known before I was 21".

I wish I had known how to take care of my money.

I wish I had known  that a man's habits are hard to change after 21.

I wish I had known that the harvest depends so much upon the seeds sown.

I wish I had known you cannot get something for nothing.

I wish I had known the world would give me just about what I deserved.

I wish I had known the folly of not taking the advice of older, wiser people.

I wish I had known that Dad wasn't such an old fogey after all.

I wish I had known that everything Mother wanted me to do was right.

I wish I had known what it meant to Mother and Father to raise a son.

I wish I had known more of the helpful and inspiring parts of the Bible.

I wish I had known the tremendous value of the opportunity and the joy of serving a fellow man.

I wish I had known that there is no better exercise for the heart than reaching down and helping people up.

I wish I had known that the "sweat of my brow" would earn my bread.

I wish I had known that thorough education brings the best of everything else.

I wish I had known that honesty is the ONLY policy, not only in dealing with my neighbours but also in dealing with myself and with God.

I wish I had known the value of truthfulness in everything.

And today I wish I knew the formula for impressing you and other young people that life is a mirror which will reflect back to you what you think into it.