June 18, 2009 — It’s been a long time since Kenny Chesney attended high school, but he was there Tuesday — in spirit, anyway — when the senior class of Griswold High in Connecticut got its diplomas and headed out into the world.
Kenny’s 2007 hit, "Don’t Blink," was used as the centerpiece of commencement remarks made by Principal Mark Frizzell when he spoke to the graduates, according to The New London Day. As the song — written by Casey Beathard and Chris Wallin — suggests, life goes by very quickly: "Trust me friend, a hundred years goes faster than you think. So don't blink."
Leading into the ceremony, the principal had trouble deciding what his remarks were going to be until he heard Kenny’s song while driving with his son, who happens to be a country music fan. They were, he felt, the right words of advice from a mentor who expressed nothing but good cheer for his kids.
"Your face, your smile, your goofy smirk will always surface within me," he told the students. "I'm proud of you."
The principal and his son might well be looking forward to Aug. 13. That’s when Kenny plays 48 miles away in Hartford, Conn., during the Sun City Carnival Tour. Also along with him will be Miranda Lambert and Lady Antebellum.
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