Dear Graduates.

One of the fine traditions of the graduation season is the free advice, lofty platitudes and stirring send-offs you get from hired-gun commencement speakers and other well-wishing adults.

Another tradition is for your eyes to glaze over like a Krispy Kreme and your ears to fill with the sound of Eminem from the earphones attached to the portable CD player hidden under your gown.

Which means you probably didn't hear much of anything from anyone anyway. Good for you. But just in case bits and pieces of those speeches drifted (or will drift) through, I'd like to make at least one correction:

You can't repeat, you can't be anything you want to be.

Oh, sure, you should follow your dream, aim for the stars, swing for the fences. Have a plan, have a goal, have a ham sandwich.

But this stuff about how you can be anything you want to be is grossly exaggerated. Otherwise we'd have 50 million presidents of the United States. We'd have 75 million people playing quarterback for the San Francisco 49ers. We'd have 100 million people sharing the top spot on the Billboard Hot 100.

Listen up. You can work hard, never quit and still fall short because of serendipity that has nothing to do with your character or abilities. Or maybe you trip up and it has everything to do with your character or abilities. No matter. Think of all the people who wanted to, but didn't grow up to be Sally Ride, William Rehnquist, Bill Gates or J.K. Rowling, and not for lack of trying.

Some do hit the mark and I hope you make it and best of luck in your pursuit of the mountain top and when all is said and done be prepared to go to Plan B.

Plan B often works out better than Plan A anyway.

"You can be anything you want to be' is not only the biggest fib you will hear this graduation season, but the most overrated.

That said, as an adult, I am obligated to offer to you my own advice, whether your eyelids are drooping or not. Here it is: Observe the people around you and learn from them.

Know that one person can't teach you everything. Sammy Sosa can tell you how to hit home runs, but as a woodworker, he has flaws. Martha Stewart has fabulous home decorating advice, but she makes for a lousy rich person.

It's good to find people who carry themselves confidently, are charismatic and articulate, and win friends easily. Then turn and run away from them as fast as you can. Or at least keep a close eye on them. Respect leadership. Suspect leaders.

Admiring heroes isn't as good an idea as admiring heroic behavior. The trouble with heroes is that most of them start out as human beings, and disappointingly, they often end up as human beings.

Anyway, in conclusion, graduates, blah, blah, blah and just remember, blah, blah, blah the first day of the rest of your life.

If your mother made you read this, congratulations, you've reached the end. It's safe to turn your brain back on.

Gregg Patton's column appears Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.