Graduation season is upon us.

The annual emergence of bright and questioning minds, fueled by the exuberance of youthful optimism, has begun. There is a universe of opportunities, challenges and brick walls just waiting to be conquered.

These words are for the graduates of 2017. The rest of you are welcome to continue reading, but this isn’t about you.

First: My congratulations.

However, I hope, for your sake, you have earned this moment.

I do not write these words to be cynical, condescending or demeaning. They are written as a guideline, an honest explanation about the road that meanders before you.

From the moment you moved that tassel from one side of your mortar board to the other, a new phase of your life began: a powerful, commanding phase. A phase where every gain you make will have to be earned.

If you have worked hard, paid attention and found ways to succeed in school, you already have an understanding of what it is going to take to earn your place in this world. If, on the other hand, all of your scholastic energies have barely added up to the minimum it takes to walk out the commencement hall door with a piece of paper in your hand — if your greatest efforts have been focused on finding the easiest path -— then you are well on your way to earning the minimum that life has to offer.

Second: Rules are made to be broken. Laws are not.

True laws do not need to be enforced.

The Law of Gravity works every time it is tried — no “gravity police” required. If you jump out of an apple tree, you may not fall on Sir Isaac Newton, but you will certainly fall.

The First Law of Thermodynamics states that energy cannot be created or destroyed. No amount of disrespect for the law can change it. Besides, who has the energy for that?

Murphy’s Law states that if anything CAN go wrong, it WILL go wrong. If you think Murphy’s Law was written as a joke, you just haven’t banged your head against a brick wall enough times.

However, people make rules, and people break rules. Speed limits are rules and people break them all the time, which is why we have so many traffic cops issuing so many speeding tickets.

Starting in the mid-1800s and continuing into the 1970s, many cities had “Ugly Rules” that prohibited “unsightly” people from walking the streets, making it illegal for guy like me to walk around Chicago (look it up — Chicago didn’t abolish this rule until 1974).

In 1920, Prohibition became a rule and by 1933 that rule had been broken so many times it had to be repealed. All Prohibition did was make criminals out of thirsty people and millionaires out of mobsters. Talk about the Law of Unintended Consequences.

Graduates, you have just entered Future World. It began the moment someone stood before you, said, “Congratulations class of 2017,” and you tossed your funny flat hat into the air.

What are you going to do with that future? You are coming of age in an era where rules can be created using just a “phone and a pen.” The burden of creating the rules is soon to be yours — be very careful.

Remember, the Law of Gravity works — you WILL fall down. It will be up to you to stand back up.

Energy cannot be created or destroyed — use ALL the energy that you have been given, and use it to the BEST of your abilities.

Yes, Murphy was right and things are going to go wrong –— not always, but there are going to be some times. Oh, there are going to be some times.

Expect it, find the solutions and keep on going.

As for the Law of Unintended Consequences — and this is the most important part — when you figure out you’ve messed things up because you didn’t think things through, stop knocking your head against that brick wall. Go back and fix the stupid rule.

– Life is as great as we choose to make it (Larry’s Law) –

Larry Wilson is a mostly lifelong resident of Niles. His optimistic “glass full to overflowing” view of life shapes his writing. His essays stem from experiences, compilations and recollections from friends and family. Wilson touts himself as “a dubiously licensed teller of tall tales, sworn to uphold the precept of ‘It’s my story; that’s the way I’m telling it.’” He can be reached at wflw@hotmail.com.