I never imagined how strong my feelings could be, especially upon graduation, but on May 13th I was filled with a combination of joy, pride, sense of fulfillment, thrill of accomplishment, peace, self-worth...and so many, many others! Even now I find it quite difficult to form or even find the words to describe how I felt on that most auspicious occasion. It was most amazing to me how I could feel so many feelings together at once! WOW! What a rush it was to me! On that day I would often find myself breathless with either unspeakable joy or morbid fear, and often both of those feelings at the same time! How could that be? I don't know! Perhaps it was, because of all the things I went through the day before and the day of and that night after, a release of sorts...? There was so much going on the night before--- i.e. bathing, laying out all of my things to help my graduation day go better and reviewing my schedule for the next day. I got up early the morning of my graduation at my scheduled time, got myself ready, had breakfast with my family, then helped my little granddaughters bathe and get ready. We all left the house on time and were able to coordinate my arrival at Indianapolis Convention Center with the arrival of my friends (so we would know where each other was.) We found a good parking space close to the center, etc. etc. etc. Upon arrival in the Convention Center, I managed to see both of my friends right away and right before the time I went into the hall where I would begin waiting for my commencement to begin. First we hugged each other and then we took a series of pictures of each other and had someone else take pictures of all of us together...it was great! Then I realized, WHERE ON EARTH WAS MY FAMILY???
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| Entrance to Commencement! |
I found graduation to be one long line after another with an even longer series of waits...! I stood in the first line for over an hour just to sit down then wait again for another hour until commencement began! Once commencement began, I listened to several, less than interesting, speeches and one right after another however there were some parts of a few of the speeches which I listened attentively to but even so now I cannot recall one single part of any one of those speeches! So you might know how memorable they were too! I sat and sat, and sat some more and listened to the endless PU departments' accolades, from each department individually, and then the same with IU, my university, but this time I found several places where I could actually be involved in my won commencement! I stood up several times, for being a student who was/had been---*over 50 y, *transferred several times and over several decades (5 colleges, 41 years), *full-time, *graduating with honors...and there are possibly other categories I stood up for but have forgotten. Upon arriving on the platform, shaking some Dean's hand...I was presented with a burgundy embossed leatherette cover instead of my diploma. I was later told that the leatherette cover should eventually hold my BSG/Bachelor of General Studies Diploma. Instead of my diploma there was letter inside addressed to me from the Dean of the department, the one who shook my hand. I was/am truly and sincerely honored!
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| Sitting in Commencement smiling way down the line of chairs! |
Then I stood in another line for about 45 minutes just to sit and wait another 45 minutes BEFORE ANOTHER COMMENCEMENT BEGAN...the madness of it all! Even though this commencement was much smaller than the first and main commencement (this one with the Division of Continuing Studies which is the department I received my BSG from) yet it lasted the same length of time as the first commencement. The long time for this commencement was likely due to selected department personnel giving speeches and also hearing from each and every student from this department who received a Masters Degree...and a Doctorate! For me, I found this program to be much more interesting program than the previous one was.
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| Me giving a thumb up to my friend taking my photo! |
Then we (my entourage included my husband, my daughter, my two little granddaughters, my two friends---one who also graduated with me---and her lovely daughter) all went out to eat at Bob Evans for breakfast. I enjoyed my day immensely and especially because I was surrounded with people who mean so very much to me, namely my family and a few choice friends, all who I love very much! The only other thing that would have made this wonderful day even better would have been if all of my family (my son & daughter-in-law, my husband's extended family and my extended family) and my other dear friends could have been there with me too---at my graduation and then again with me at Bob Evans eating breakfast for a late supper, all of us together! Nonetheless, my graduation day was a really great day for me!
