| 21 May 2002 10:14 pm Tuesday I'm back home, but only for under 2 days. I head off to Los Angeles on Thursday to dog-sit Doc while Albert is in Vegas. Yeah, I'm a loving sister. He showered me with graduation gifts, so it's the least I can do! Yes, I am a college graduate!!! Official as of Saturday, May 18th, I graduated from Ithaca College. The ceremony was actually postponed from 10am to 1pm due to rain. Thank god that happened because I got to sleep more! The ceremony in itself was quite the experience. It was overcast, 37 degrees, windy, and SO FREAKING COLD! It snowed earlier that morning close to where we were, too. James Earl Jones, our very esteemed and outstanding guest speaker, even said, "Ithaca.... Ithaca, my hands are cold." The funny thing about the ceremony was that whenever the sun decided to poke through the clouds, the crowd started cheering! I am just thankful it wasn't raining. Needless to say, it is a ceremony I won't forget! Silly me forgot my camera in the car when Albert dropped me off. Luckily Zach was with Rachel when I met up with her, so I sent him to get me a disposable camera from the bookstore. It was expensive as sin, but I'm just lucky they had some in stock. I got a lot of great pictures of my friends in the school of H&S. But it was during the ceremony that I realized I barely had friends in H&S. Most of my friends (and Rachel's, we share this sentiment) are in Park. We saw them all walk in and knew SO many of them. I didn't get to see them after the ceremony, too, because I went to the reception for my school. It was kind of disappointing, but at the same time, I GRADUATED! I was having a great day. Graduating is a he1l of an experience. It was pretty cool to see myself and everyone decked out in their black gowns and whatever color tastle (mine was silver!) and hugging and taking pictures. I was elated, felt nothing but joy. I didn't think to feel anything else, except maybe cold. My dear friend asked me how I felt so he'd know what to expect when he's done in June (blah - trimesters). I didn't know what to tell him. There are some moments I think, whoa I am completely done. I'm an adult, not allowed to have silly girlish crushes and watch those teen tv shows... I am a responsible adult who needs to find a job and contribute to the work force. Ha! Most of the time, though, I don't think about it. It's my summer break which I earned quite well after getting a 3.7 in the fall and a 3.48 this semester. It's my time to hang out and party and celebrate. Perhaps it will fully sink in when September rolls around and everyone is back in school except me. One of the funny things about graduating, though, is what people decide to tell you when they have no time left. There were a couple of people who shared feelings they'd kept hidden from me. There were various reasons why they chose not to tell me until the last possible day... but they generally boil down to: they were chicken. Ian and I both had these experiences, and he agrees with me when I say that fear is a funny thing. It is the easier way to handle a situation. If you don't know what to do, just don't do it so you don't have to face what will come. Personally I feel somewhat gypped that they didn't give us a chance, but at the same time I am highly flattered that they at least told me how they felt, even if it was last minute. I had no idea either of them felt that way, though I had an inkling about one. But yes, I feel short-changed on some experiences I could have had, but no time to lament. I'm just thankful for the ones I did have. That is my general attitude towards it all. I had an amazing last week at school with my fellow classmates. I barely had time to sleep because every minute was full of fun and good times. Casino night was a blast. The formal was simply beautiful and highly satisfying. Hanging out with my brother and best friend was a blast. Seeing my entire family get along was great. Seeing all my friends pretty much for the last time was happy. Graduation was surreal. When I look back at it all, I feel like I did the best I could. There are no regrets, no remorse, no saddness. I am so thankful for everything I did while I was here. I accomplished so much. When I look back I'll be able to smile, and that's the best I can hope for. It's all said and done, college is gone, my friends have gone off their own ways. I am not worried about most of them at all, as I know which ones the "keepers" are. And I have a feeling I'll be running into others sometime in my future. Graduation wasn't a tear-fest at all. Besides jumping in the fountain, it has been the one time I have felt real happiness. I'm blessed. |
| howl |