I got handed my diploma without slipping and falling on my ass in my high platform shoes in front of the whole city of Sherwood. They say that’s one of the easiest things to get through after high school. The ceremony itself wasn’t worth my 12 years in the system.
As the band played their banner and my class and I made our way out on the football field. The wind noticed that my cap was too big for my head. It slipped right off and flew a couple feet behind me. Forcing me to hold up the line of students behind me, scramble back to my cap, hat hair and all. But that didn’t end the world, so I was eager enough to keep walking and proceed past the crowd of proud family and friends to get to my seat.
(Quick fix to my flying cap)
As my class started to settle into their seats in alphabetical order I stopped to take a deep breath. I began to soak in this moment wearing the maroon cap and gown for the first and only time, and began to reminisce on moments leading up to this day that have served me to become who I have flourished into now.
My images were quickly washed away when the guy next to me tapped my shoulder and said, “What do I do if I’ve got to pee, ” and continued his fuss with a few jokes, “What if I just whipped it out and peed on the diplomas.”
Not only was my reminiscing abolished back into space, but also I was left with an image kind of like Bart Simpson in a cap and gown at his graduation standing on the table leaking on all the diplomas and laughing.
I turned a kind smile to him and looked away quickly pretending I could hear the speeches being presented.
Three out of the three speeches given at the ceremony didn’t make it through to my hearing or anyone else’s around me either. These speeches are supposed to be the last words that leave behind a great memory of high school. Rather I remember soft mumbling that was probably motivational and angry marks of “I can’t hear you!” coming from a few rows behind me. I clapped and smiled when everyone else anyways. The only thing I did hear over the speaker loud and clear was “I present to you the class of 2016”…finally.
When it was time, I lined up next to the podium and anticipated anxiously for them to call my name. I began to fidget with my cords making sure they were even and searched the crowd for familiar faces. I already knew where my family and best friends were huddled and watching before I sat down, but I never found where my boyfriend was standing. I started to grow anxiety that my boyfriend must have forgotten about today or was running late and going to miss my name being called. The time I spent on the card I sent out to tell him, all the small mentions about prepping for graduation, the texts I sent nonchalantly dropped a reminder of today were all a waste. Out of all the things he could forget about, I can’t believe he forgot about today. I began inching closer and closer to the front of the line when I spotted my boy standing right in the middle of the stadium dressed in the sweetest smile.
I knew I had all the right people there to see me walk into my next phase of life. Besides the fact that the ceremony wasn’t ideal, I forgot all about it when I was able to wrap my arms around my family and friends as they congratulated me.
