Paden Dvoor talks magic, change, and the mind at graduation

The Island Now
Paden Dvoor delivered a speech talking about revolution, Harry Houdini, and the power of the human mind as the Class of 2019 prepares for its next chapter. (Photo courtesy of Great Neck Public Schools)
Paden Dvoor delivered a speech talking about revolution, Harry Houdini, and the next chapter. (Photo courtesy of Great Neck Public Schools)

Below is the speech Paden Dvoor delivered at the Great Neck South High School graduation. It was sent to the Great Neck News by the Great Neck Public Schools.

Good afternoon families, friends, teachers, administrators, and of course, my peers in the graduating class of 2019.

Today we live in a world of thought. A world of wonder and new ideas—ideas that our grandparents, parents, and maybe even siblings could have never imagined.

We have revolutionized the way we communicate with friends—texting and snapchatting instead of knocking on doors.

We have revolutionized the way that we learn—expanding the classroom through apps.

We have formed bonds with computer screens, ordered four course meals with the click of a button, and turned family scrapbooks into Facebook albums.

You are now able to go online and check the net worth of the guy you went on a date with last night; you can read what people have to say about that new restaurant you’re not so sure you want to try; you get alerts when the President tweets. Oh yeah, and that too, the President tweets!

We have broken down the hardships of everyday life and decreased the workload for ourselves.

Life has simply become more accessible and more controllable.

That being said, we have also unknowingly carved ourselves paths of well, potential insanity.

And with that, I get to the real reason why I got up here today.

There’s nothing to talk about anymore. I obviously couldn’t stand before all of you and rant about war, politics, climate change, race, religion, or anything in between. But after some thought, I realized there is something I can discuss. It’s magic.

Harry Houdini, thought by most as the greatest magician to this day, once claimed that he could break out of any jail.

He said he could be out of any cell in one hour, no problem. And he did it. He broke out of jail cells all over the country.

But a few years in, a pretty old jail in the South asked him to come try it out on them, claiming Houdini’s trick would not work this time.

People came from all over to watch, wondering what in the world could stop Harry Houdini.

Confidently, Houdini walked right into the cell. And the metal doors were shut behind him.

Houdini first removed his belt. Because secretly hidden in his belt was a ten inch piece of steel that had helped him open every past jail cell.

He began working.

In about a half hour, the confident smirk that rested on Houdini’s face began to fade.

In about an hour, Houdini was bathed in sweat, just waiting for the click to signal that he had unlocked the door.

And in two hours, Houdini, admitting defeat, collapsed against the door.

But as he fell against the door, it opened.

It opened because, you see, that door had never been locked.

Well, it had never really been locked. But it had been locked, firmly and thoroughly, in Houdini’s mind, which meant it was locked as if the best locksmith in the world had put his lock on it.

The mind is powerful. And the mind is dangerous. We have begun to act as computers—coding and programming ourselves for the worst. But we are not computers.

We are about to enter the next stage of our lives, crafting careers, paying bills, moving around the state, around the country, and around the world. Problems will arise and pressures will stump success. But we must realize that our minds are the strongest forces that we will ever face. Our minds will tell us lies; our minds will tell us “you can’t do it,” “you’re not meant for that,” and “you’re not good enough.”

But we can’t listen.

We should look at Houdini and learn. Learn that the only locked doors that exist are in our own minds. The doors in reality are wide open. And all we have to do is walk through.

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