Barry Sanders. Tiki Barber. Sandy Koufax.
What do they all have in common? Many would say they retired too early. Sanders was easily within reach of the NFL's all-time rushing record, Tiki left the game one year before his Giants went on to win the Super Bowl, and Koufax was on his way to becoming perhaps the greatest pitcher ever.
But to me, those early retirements are not necessarily a bad thing. I don't think Barry and Tiki are sitting on their couches at home wondering what could have been. They went out on their own terms — before the game pushed them out — and that's something to be proud of.
How sad is it when we see a player like Ken Griffey Jr. decline? These days, he's flailing at pitches he used to crush and falling asleep in the clubhouse during games.
There's something to be said for leaving before the game gets the best of you, even if it involves making a sacrifice. We can't all be John Elway, winning back-to-back championships before riding off into the sunset.
Now, I find myself thinking about things like this because I am one of the hundreds of seniors who will be graduating today. Over the past few months, I've been pondering how I would be leaving Tufts. Am I going out on my own terms? Or am I being forced out of the four-year bubble that college life provides?
In many ways, it seems that I'm being pushed out of this place kicking and screaming. I have no idea where I'll be five months or five years down the road — even my plans for May 24 aren't certain.
But more than that, it's just that I love and will miss so much about Tufts. I spent my high school years at a New England boarding school, and I never really found my niche there. At Tufts, I have.
I've gained so many lifelong friends here — whether they're people when I met during my first week on campus or just in the past few months — and so many unforgettable stories.
I will always remember the stale smell of Bush Hall freshman year, the fourth floor of South, the innumerable adventures we had in Wren (yes, I know I'm getting mushy and boring, but it's my last column; indulge me). I'll remember all my professors in our brilliant philosophy department and all of the athletic teams that I've covered.
I'll remember all the late nights in the Tufts Daily office and the incredibly dedicated people who I spent them with — the only thing that's of higher quality than the paper students manage to put out day after day are the people who work so hard to do so.
There are so many people in this community that I love — genuinely love — that I don't know how I'm going to function when I am no longer a part of it. The students and professors here have influenced every aspect of who I am and without question have made me a better person.
But with all that said, I know it's time to move on. I'm ready for the next stage of my life. Maybe I'm not quite going out on my own terms like the guys listed above, but I'm still graduating from Tufts in four years and with more memories than I could have ever imagined — and that, too, is something to be proud of.
To anyone who's ever taken the time to read this column, I cannot thank you enough. I hope that maybe, just once or twice, I've been able to provide insight to an issue or offer a different perspective.
And to all the seniors who are graduating with me today, I say we welcome the change that's about to take place in our lives. It's important to remember the past, but don't cling to it like an old slugger trying to hang on to his glory days.
Some things are inevitable, and neither hesitation nor regret will change that. Embrace the future, if only because that's the only thing you can do.
We've all still got a lot of life to live. Let's make the most of it.
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David Heck graduates today with a degree in philosophy. He can be reached at David.Heck@tufts.edu.
