Some of you may remember that I was asked to speak at my high school's National Honor Society induction. Today was the big day.

Driving onto campus is a completely different experience than it was six years ago. There's a "guard shack" for lack of a better term. The parking lots are different. There are flowers everywhere.

Inside, I found my contact (the honor society sponsor aka my ex-college adviser) and the teacher who really got me into what I do for a living. I met the Honor Society officers, and after a short chat with a few other folks, the ceremony started.

It was funny, hearing them talk about me like I didn't belong there. I've stood on that stage so many times. I had forgotten, however, that once you get up there - you can't see a flippin thing. The light is blinding, so speaking is really no issue. You can't see anyone. There's nothing to scare you. There's nothing that's intimidating.

I was proud that I hardly looked at my notes, but I think the most exciting part came after the ceremony had ended. Parents came up to me and said, "Great message!" Kids came up to me and said, "Thank you so much for sharing." They asked, "Do you really like what you do?" People were interested. And while I realize that this wasn't some life-altering speech - my goal was to make a difference to one person. I wanted one person to walk away from today and feel like they have learned something. Incidentally, I think that lots of people feel that they learned something.

I had a bast going back and seeing old teachers. I enjoyed chatting with families during the luncheon. I loved being able to tell teachers that they really did make a difference in my life, and seeing the pride on their faces was absolutely priceless.