I graduated from High School 20 years ago today!
It seems like yesterday.
It feels like a lifetime.
I would show you a picture but I did not go to my graduation. My parents said that if I didn't go then I could not go to Senior activities either...the Senior Picnic, the release of Jurassic Park, Knott's Berry Farm and even Grad Night, which starts after the ceremony and ends the next morning. I agreed and sat out of all of it. I was opinionated and stubborn and argued that the law required me to go to school so graduating wasn't really an accomplishment. Funny that I am now the mom who sits proudly in the front row and takes 100 pictures for even preschool graduation.
6 comments:
Hahaha. I think graduation ceremonies are for the parents anyway. I wonder, if we lived our teen years again with the wisdom gained since, would we do the same things again? Skipping graduation again would probably be tempting.
Really, they didn't want you to go to graduation? 20 years. Mike's reunion is Saturday, how do you feel? Old, young, wise? Crazy how a # can make you feel all of the above and much much more.
Julie, It would be interesting to see which choices we would change with age and wisdom but I am pretty sure I would still skip grad. In fact, I would probably skip my wedding reception too and just have the ceremony. I don't like occasions when I have to dress up and be the center of attention.
Makinzee, I think I did a bad job telling the story. My mom didn't care if I went but my dad really wanted me to go so he bought the cap and gown and paid for all the activities to try to change my mind and said that if I didn't walk then he would take back my tickets to the rest of grad week as well and I was fine with that. It all just seemed so stupid to me...everyone crying and celebrating all week like it was the most significant moment in our whole lives.
Oh and as for how I feel? Younger than I thought I would 20 years later. I feel like the same goofy young spaz but also like a totally different person with a whole lot of life lived in those 20 years. And I feel blessed to have had the last 20 years even if this milestone makes me old.
It's amazing isn't it to think we've been out of high school that long. My 20 years will be next year, but I still grasp that I'm 37 now.
I felt the same way about participating in a bunch of school events. I just didn't feel like I was part of that community. I came late to the game (in junior high), so I never felt the bond/loyalty to that school or the people in it. I did the whole graduation thing but for my family's sake. We had many fly in from out of state and had a big party planned, so skipping graduation never crossed my mind. It was just a means to an end.
Wow. I wanted to go to graduation but I didn't want to wear a dress... I don't know why. It was required so being the rebel I am I found one of those 1 piece things ( I think they are called coulattes but I have no idea how to spell that) and wore that so that it looked like I was wearing a dress but I wasn't. oooh. I was SO bad. :)
We did get struck by lightning part way through the ceremony though so I never walked.
My 20th is in 2015. I really want to go to the reunion. But I didn't go to the tenth so we'll see how I feel then.
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