The last year has been a real struggle, for us, New Zealand and the rest of the world.

It raises the question, how is this fair? Why did we deserve this and why did it have to happen to us, here and now? Well, what is fair? who decides what is fair and what isn’t? No one does. This world is a funny place, strange and disastrous things happen all the time. It just so happens by chance we are living during this pandemic.

When discussing the topic of this speech with my father and how Covid has affected the world he summed it up pretty well, “ the world doesn’t owe us anything, nothing is guaranteed and it probably doesn’t even know we are here.” I thought about this and realised in the big scheme of things we are pretty fortunate to be living in New Zealand during this time. I wake up most Mondays at the Hostel at 7.00am thinking ‘bugger I have to go to school today’, where people who can’t leave the house for the 5th month in a row would be thinking, ‘bugger I can’t go to school today and see my mates’.

While the rest of the world isn’t in great shape, I like to think New Zealand is pretty much all go in comparison. As mentioned earlier, nothing is guaranteed and there is no definitive answer to ‘What is fair?’ Instead of pondering this further, we should be cracking on and making the most of this time and take up opportunities that we were thinking about not so long ago sitting in front of our computers on Zoom.

Life throws many obstacles. No matter if they are big or small it takes a brave man to carry on. A great example of this is a man called Jim Thorpe. Jim Thorpe was an Native American Indian who competed in the 1912 Olympic Games for the US in track and field. On the morning of the games, his shoes were stolen. Jim proceeded to find a pair of shoes in the rubbish only hours before his events. The shoes were different sizes and Jim had to wear an extra sock on his left foot in order to make the shoe fit. On this day, wearing those shoes, Jim won 2 gold medals for his country. Success is handed to those who work the hardest. Wealth is not only measured by material assets, it is measured by the lessons you have learnt, experiences you have had and the connections you have made with those close to you.

My time here has been full of opportunities, some I have taken and some I have not. With the current global position going any which way, I look back and wish I had taken every opportunity. When the chance arose to come here and move into the Hostel, I never thought I would have the opportunity to be speaking to you today, but somehow it turned out ok. However, this time is nearly over and the real world is upon us. I've got no idea what the world will be like in 10 years time. If someone tells you they know what is going to happen, they are lying to you. The world takes pity on no one and the opportunities that come your way will not wait for you.

So, life may not be fair, in fact it’s far from it. There are many challenges and obstacles that come our way. It’s up to us to decide whether we roll over and accept defeat or whether we continue to run our race and march on. 

“Don’t go around saying the world owes you a living, the world owes you nothing, it was here first.” Mark Twain.