Graduation. Then and Now.

View of the top of the mortar board decorated to look like the A from Alvin and the Chipmunks.  That is a dog in the upper left corner.

View from my chair at the Roy Wilkins Auditorium in downtown Saint Paul.

I went to a high school graduation last night.  Things have changed quite a bit since I graduated in 1972. This ceremony was in a huge auditorium.  Mine was outside.  This class had about 550 graduates.  Mine had 623 graduates. This school had colors of black and silver.  Mine had black and gold.  Most of the kids in this class decorated the tops of their mortar board hats.  I saw glitter, foil, numbers, flowers and actual electric lights adorning the hats.  One hat read, "I ♥ my Mom."  No one in my class decorated our hats.  We had to return our caps and gowns.  In this ceremony about 40 teachers were on the stage wearing black robes and hoods indicating their area of study.  The graduates walked through the teachers on the way to their seats.  I don't think we had that at my graduation.  This ceremony was filmed and projected on the screen behind the stage and will be shown on cable television in the coming week.  My ceremony was not televised.  I'm pretty sure there was no cable television then.  These students were instructed to act in a dignified manner.  We were told the same thing.  The graduates at this ceremony tossed beach balls around during the very long reading of all the names.  We did the same thing at my ceremony. At both ceremonies families clapped for their kids as their names were read and they crossed the stage. At my ceremony some kids had bottles of alcohol hidden in their gowns and they took gulps as the evening progressed.  I was too far away to see if that happened at this ceremony.  At my ceremony, when my name was called, I had a mantra repeating in my head saying, "Don't fall.  Don't fall.  Don't fall flat on your face."  I expect some kids at this ceremony had the same mantra.  One of the kids in this ceremony did a cartwheel on stage.  Another one, later in the alphabet, did a back flip but she nearly kicked a school board member in the head and she landed on her knees, hard.  It sounded like it hurt.  Overall I think the graduates at this ceremony had more poise and confidence than my fellow graduates.  I remember how I felt at my graduation ceremony.  I felt numb.  I wasn't especially happy or proud or sad or nostalgic.  I knew it was a memorable moment but I wasn't sure how I felt about it.  I knew that up until this point I had been marched along a path set for me by my parents, my teachers and society in general.  After this moment my choices multiplied and my options increased.  No longer could I coast along the school house road.  Now I had to map out a course of my own which was as thrilling as it was frightening.  No wonder I felt numb.