The September 1985 Yale Convocation was the first I attended as a Yale parent and the last at which Bart Giamatti, then President of the University, spoke.

He told the incoming freshmen he hoped the four years ahead would inspire commitment to a lifetime of learning.

He observed there was a difference between being involved in learning and committed to it.

He said, “In ham and eggs, the chicken is involved, but the pig is committed.”

I don’t know about my son, the new freshman.  Myself, I’ve never forgotten what Giamatti said.

Whenever someone asks me to commit to something, I think about the pig and the ham.

It helps clarify what’s important.