Day 15 -- The Day You Graduated

June 13, 1989--I think. 

The day started out like any other prior Tuesday. Even though the seniors had finished their exams, we still had to show up to school to catch the bus to go to the Carpenter Center, the venue where we graduated, for practice. So I picked up my friend, Aderian and we went. 

After about 3-4 hours of practice, we arrived back at school and went home. When I got there, some gifts in monetary form were waiting for me, so I opened them, wrote their names down on a clipboard that my mom had set up for thank you cards and went to sleep. 

In the middle of my nap, my then boyfriend called and asked if I wanted him to take me back up to the school to catch the bus again for the last time. I said cool, got up and started getting ready. When he showed up, my father got upset (he never liked Jemal) and said he wasn't taking my ass anywhere. I asked him what his problem was and he just got more upset. I told Jemal to take Aderian and I'd be up there later. That was the most excitement of the day. 

Fast forward to the Carpenter Center and the ceremony was cool. Our speaker was (most of) our assistant principal from middle school.  His speech was memorable because it was so personal. He broke down because, as he put it, his kids were graduating. I think his son graduated with us too but I can't remember. 

Anyway, they started handing out the awards and scholarships and I had some time because my name was nowhere on that list. And then...the moment of truth.  It's time to get the piece of paper. Being that my last name began with A, I was the fourth person to get my diploma, but there were over 320 more after me and we actually had a girl whose last name began with a Z. I truly don't think any letter of the alphabet was missed except for maybe X. Talk about a long process. 

So they called my name and the thought that went through most girls' heads at that time went through mine..."DO NOT BUST YOUR ASS WALKING IN THESE HEELS ACROSS THAT STAGE."  I got my diploma from my principal (who told me to smile because apparently, I wasn't), shook hands with some other folks on the dais, and that was it. After the ceremony, I went home, changed clothes, headed back out with the boyfriend who took me to dinner (after the argument with my dad, I wasn't in a party mood) and had relations and I went home and went to sleep because I had to work the next day. 

Nothing special or out of the ordinary. I was more excited almost 20 years to the day later when my daughter graduated from the same high school. But I was, am, and shall forever be a Henrico Warrior. 

BEHOLD THE GREEN AND GOLD!!