Monday, May 16, 2005
The Graduate
What a lovely weekend!
All the graduates ~ radiant in their triumph and hansome in their youth!
I hadn't been to so many "senior parties" in like, over 25 years or so! And these were so much better than what I remember... [Big, bright smiles!] Lots of "mid~western" cooks out doing themselves ... assorted sandwhiches, fruit bowls, chips, dips, salads, BBQ just about everything, then on with the cakes, ice creams, fruit punches, soda pops and dare I say it,... ice cold beers. Throw-away cameras tossed about on the tables to encourage the capture of spontaneity on the spot! Mild temperatures and a breezey gusts stout enough to keep flies and mosquitoes away were making the backyard sceens the best events happenin' all day!
[Note to self: Sew some [fishing] sinkers onto that gausey skirt!!! If it's going to be a sunday favorite and it loves to sail up and away in even the gentlest caress of prairiewinds... you need to give it some help!] Ahem... lol!
Ah Graduation! What a marvelous event.
I don't believe I fully appreciated my own graduation as much as I do all the ones I'm seeing now [different perspective from the distance of those 25+ years! ]
Life changing event for both parent and child... I see that clearly now.
25 years ago I was highly "bothered" ~ just wanting to get this school thing DONE and get on with my life!
I saw High school, for the most part, as a dull repeat of Jr. High ~ all except for my art and science classes.
I had to quit a [rather exciting, high paying, hard working] job "gandy dancing" for the Burlington Northern Railroad to even finish my senior year of High School. (that bugged me) Then about 1/2 way through that last year of Sr. High ~ I got a 3-11 job at the Electric Hose and Rubber factory [Yes. Girlfriend here, is an "ex-hoser"]. I didn't mind the work or the pay, which got me things Mom couldn't afford & a few things I, in no way, wanted her to know about! (Cringing to this day! <- it is a red flag, people, when you're doing things your Momma should never ever know about! lol! )
I was talking about repressed memories and this came up talking to the graduates yesterday: One had noticed they did not get their graduation certificate in the special binder they were handed at the ceremony. I told them it was that way with me ... but I was kinda sweating it a little bit... fold back 2 1/2 decades of time...
I remember The Vice Principal called me into his office a couple weeks before graduation. (That bugged me) He told me there was a possibility I would not graduate (that bugged me) because I had several "tardys" on my record for my 1st period class. (That really bugged me!) This news and his attitude did not sit well with me. (You got it! It "bugged" me!) I told him I thought he was full of Chit, that I was currently pulling an 'A' in that class. And~further more ~ I felt I was doing very good considering the 3-11 job at the local hose factory that I was holding down in addition to my school schedule. I went on to bug-out on him, by tell him that if he didn't want to graduate me because of a few tardys on my so called record, he could go straight to HELL. Matter of fact, I left his office telling him that. (I was bugged, now, and so not in the mood to negotiate ~ anything! ~) So even though I went to my graduation and all seemed OK, A-OK, I was one of the first to take a little peek inside the binder and therefore one of the first to "freak" a tiny bit over seeing it "blank". I did have a brief twinge... which went quickly a way when I got the official document in the mail a couple weeks later! Whew! :D
Journal Jar Question ... this one I'm making up because of the graduation season:
What do you, HONESTLY, remember about your High School Graduation? [and if you didn't graduate with your class what do you remember most about your life / experiences at that time?]
Hope everyone of you is having a wonderful, blessed week................ I "know" I am! [Big smiles, just for you!]
13 comments:
I remember that my mother got several phone calls the next day saying that I had been seen "holding" a blue plastic cup with "beer" in it. No one saw me DRINK said beer, just that I had the cup in my hand. Truth be told I was NOT drinking the beer, I was holding it for a friend who was tying his shoe, but how closely was I being watched?? Never had even ONE drink till I went to college,,,,then there is another story but we wont go there,.....
Mom
heh, I almost didn't graduate because technically I had missed one whole semester of school with all my abscences. But my Guidence counsler( a wonderful women) convinced them that since I had such high grades that it was pointless holding me back. By the skin of my teeth I escaped the hell hole that was school.
I don't remember MY graduation, but I remember the previous year's.
All my best buddies were in that class. After their ceremony, we all went to an all night graduation party and when the sun came up, we all drove to the lake and ate donuts together while watching the sun rise. It was one of the last times we were all together..boo hoo.
when u mention graduate
all i remember is my crush on her mom
and the ruff time i had romancing 2 woomen under one roof
i got a few pointers from Dustin Hoffman though
I was supposed to be the Valedictorian but was bumped to second when a guy and I had the same GPA but "they couldn't have co-valedictorians" What did they do flip an f'ing coin? Anyway, I threw my cap at the principal during the closing remarks, oh and the speech I gave *the unapproved version* was about respect and responsibility and had quite a few digs at the admin.
O. Oddybobo! You was robbed! One thing I've always loved about my little hometown is the loving support the youth receive from all sectors. We have had co-valedictorians here before! It was a DOUBLY JOYOUS and HONORABLE thing! Good for you on voicing your digs!
My grad wasnt as exciting as I'd hoped it to be. Nothing like they show in the movies. And definatly nothing like the grads now adays....where you almost need a mortgage just to get through it.
My graduation sucked...I graduated with a cast on my right leg up to the knee..on crutches..had to walk up steps to get on stage..the principal told me just how happy he was to see me leave (no love lost there)..back down steps on the other side...drunk...man..it was a bad trip too (know what I mean..hehe)
Op~
My graduation. We had an awesome family party and food before hand. Then I had to sit in the front row. (end of the alphabet in front row) The entire class had a marble each and we were handing them to the vice principal when we shook his hand. A few of us had golf balls to give him. He started dropping them at his feet in the grass, then he got smart and as he was shaking hands he was handing them back to the kids. So we passed them on to all the school board who's hands we were shaking. On of the guys was so confused after every hand shake he was putting the marble in his pockets. He had the biggest bulging pockets you've ever seen. The looks on those adults faces were priceless.
dont believe a word of wat OPIE says
he is drop out from pre-school
dorko O dorko,
Your very poignant post is cutting the edges ambiguity. Though it makes me feel old, I do have many sweet memories past of my Graduation: I was the Guy loved by everyone n'I still remember the tears in my physics teacher's eyes who asked me a hug before a final goodbye and still send me card every xmas.
Saby...I have something for you~
Op~
hmmmmmmmm I don't remember graduation but I kind of fuzzily remember the afterwards graduation party at at antelople canyon with lost of beer and dope, and I fuzzily remember I think making out with that Ed guy...little redhead of the 3 brothers that own strombolies.
Yup that's about all I remember...and it's all fuzzy so could have been a dream.
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