Image provided by KFC.
Art Institute of Portland graduates got an Extra Crispy treat on Friday when Colonel Harland Sanders, played by American actor George Hamilton, gave the commencement speech. His comments came as a surprise to some students, and even to the Colonel, who admitted that he never made it past the sixth grade.
“What I can tell you is that no one has all the answers,” he told the student body. But he did have some insights, which he imparted on them in his address. Here are four of them, or you can watch the full video below.
Life brings you to where you need to go.
The Colonel didn’t start Kentucky Fried Chicken until age 65. Before that, he was a mule trainer, a ferryboat captain, an aspiring attorney and an amateur obstetrician. In other words, he didn’t have it figured out from day one, and neither should you.
“No matter what, enjoy the ride—even if you’re sitting in a folding chair there, watching something ridiculous happen on some big fancy stage, enjoy the ride,” he said.
The things you get
wrong in life are the real lessons.
Embrace failure, be reckless and take chances.
“Those moments when you really screwed up? Those are the exams and graded essays of life. They’re where you devote the skills to deal with the things life throws at you,” the Colonel said.
Be true to yourself.
"The absolute best thing about this wild, extraordinary, unpredictable life is only you can be you," Sanders said, adding, "Be true to yourself."
Unless, of course, the graduates can find an actor who can do it better, then do that, he joked.
Be humble. Be crispy.
The Colonel ended his speech with a nod to his KFC Extra Crispy Sunscreen, a limited time offer that sold out quickly in 2016. "Be humble. Be crispy," he told the graduates. Watch the video if you’re not familiar with the infomercial that went viral.
