Graduation Day

   It seems like every 4 or 5th post on my
Facebook page over the past 3 or 4 weeks
involves an announcement that someone
has Graduated!
   They come from proud parents, grand parents,
aunts, uncles, and other family members. And
they have every right to be proud!
   But they have also prompted some personal
thoughts and memories which, although written
about before, are worthy, I believe, of repeating.   
    I got to thinking about how much has
changed in graduations since the time I, somehow,
made it through school. To be fair, in my case, it
was just High School. I never went to college. But
I did teach in two of them!
     These days kids graduate from everything!
     Preschool, kindergarten, Elementary School,
High School, and, of course, College.
     My Graduation was, appropriately, on "D-Day".
June 6th., 1960. That seemed just right since I had
to battle my way through school.
     We had specific instructions to follow at the
ceremonies. Most of them were designed to encourage
(in fact insist) on good behavior!
      They didn't have to worry about me! I was
not taking any chances they'd change their minds!
So I followed all the rules, wore my tassel on the
left as required and marched, in order, until they
called my name. It was a long ceremony because
there were over 400 students in my class.
       All that pomp and circumstance and I didn't even
get my diploma! Those were handed out, later, back at
the school. But only after we gave our cap and gowns
back!  It was, I suppose, our final math test! Twelve
years of education = One Cap & one Gown!
      After that most students probably headed
to parties..
       Me? I breathed a sigh of relief and headed
straight for the movies. Conquering the world
would have to wait at least one more day!
              Hope you'll "remember always, Graduation
Day,.....and that all of your NEWS is good!