My Turn

Having read several posts about graduation, I want my turn to put in a few words.

It happened. Right when it should, in the way it was supposed to, with the requisite pomp and joy and tears. Taylor Reveley and Tom Brokaw kept us entertained, as did our Chancellor, Sandra Day O'Connor. She and Reveley made the power of a voice obvious -- we all heard her laugh at our "Royal Charter" as she bestowed an honorary degree, although she did nothing more than read the script. And during the Sociology ceremony, I realized how many things one can do with a soc major, as well as how many creative ways exist to say, "I have no idea what I'm doing next year."

Of course, I realized once again how blessed I am to have attended the College. Clay Clemmons may have accurately describe the social life in his line about two statues staring at each other "and they never get any closer!" and we definitely have a twisted culture of stress, but so much good happens there too. It's the good that makes leaving hard, but at the same time easy. Every now and then, I get this image of all the people at the College as sparks. And we're all bumping around in this hot and sparkly place together -- until we graduate. Then suddenly we're cast to the four winds like dandelion fluff. But because we were made to be sparks, what else can we do but light our world wherever we end up?

Also, I find comfort in the fact that one part of me will never get left behind. After I bid good-bye to my roommates, I went to return the Book of Common Prayer that I borrowed from CCM about a year and a half ago. (I'm missing those prayers...) On arriving, I couldn't just drop the book and run, so I went up to our chapel for one last visit. I walked in with the mindset of saying good-bye... but I found myself talking to the Person there, and it was not a good-bye at all for him. Instead of saying good-bye to the chapel, I ended up saying thank you through my tears and asking for a safe journey -- up 64 to 95 and beyond.

Even my last minutes on campus proved what I had been telling myself about Commencement. The word doesn't mean ending; to commence is to begin.