Good Riddance
I can’t get through the month of May without hearing about Graduations. High School, University, Kindergarten, 3rd grade, 8th grade and all of the ones that mean nothing at all. And of course, these all send me into nostalgia about my big day(s), which at the time seemed monumental.
I barely remember my High School graduation, other than it was May 26, 2006, and I didn’t get invited to any post-ceremony parties. Since it’s really a blur, I can recreate it as I’d hoped it was. I think most of it was like the graduation scene on THE OC. And since I’m currently finishing Season 2 of VERONICA MARS, I think it was a bit like that too. Actually, THIS is exactly how I remember it:
Despite wanting to go to college since I was 3 years old, I was still a little sad to leave High School. I had kind of just figured it all out and WHOOSH…it was over. Time was moving on. But much to my delight, high school isn’t as good as it gets. In fact, things get so much better. If I could have seen 6 years into the future, I wouldn’t have believed it. So happy graduation, seniors! Throw your cap. Frame that diploma. Because in 6 years, you’ll have no clue where either are and you’ll be wondering if it’s time to sell your class ring for rent money.
My college graduation is much fresher in my mind. After all, it was only 2 years ago on May 15, 2010. The best thing about college graduation is you just show up. There’s no “lessons” on the proper way to line up alphabetically. I got there. I sat down. I listened to Christiane Amanpour speak. I stood up. I graduated! It’s all the pomp and circumstance of high school graduation with way less crap to do. I literally paid $50 and showed up. Of course, the likelihood of you sitting with people you’ve never seen before is high. (Luckily, I found my friends Helen & Nicole!) and if 
you squint, it’s apparent that my family was there. But this is more telling about life after what life is like after college. I drove myself to graduation. I never even saw my family there. I drove myself home. This is the true story of independence. After college graduation, life isn’t the same because now you’re an “adult” and you’ve got nothing to look forward to but death and taxes.
happy graduation.