By now this year’s crop of seniors have their diplomas firmly in hand. Many of them are hundreds of miles away celebrating their accomplishment. Others are getting ready for work Monday.

Others ready themselves for classes in the coming weeks and months.

Each student from each school is unique. Their paths to graduation are varied but their end results are the same: you made it.

The next few days, and likely the past several weeks, will be filled with people who want to welcome you to “the real world” with tales of your best days being behind you.

That’s not true. It may be for them but it doesn’t have to be for you.

Your best days are not behind you but it’s most likely that your easiest ones are.

Whether you choose to enter the labor force or continue your education, the amount of distractions that are about to enter your life are going to increase exponentially. The number of filters between you and those distractions are about to decrease exponentially.

From here forward it is mostly up to you to prioritize everything from what to eat for breakfast to what time to go to bed. Mom and dad will still play a role in that to some extent but the guidance counselors, teachers and others in the circle of support for the past 12 years are gone – or at least minimized.

What awaits you will be one challenge after another but as I recall, high school was pretty challenging in itself.

Each of you successfully made your way to the end of that journey, fighting battles and hurdling obstacles along the way.

“The real world” is no different. The battles are different and the hurdles are different but the battles are battles and the hurdles are hurdles. You take them as they come, deal with them and press forward.

Congratulations to the Class of 2011 for what you have accomplished. I am excited for you as you discover the paths and pitfalls that lie ahead.

Jason Cannon is the publisher of The Demopolis Times.