Graduation

On Friday I went to a high school graduation ceremony at Bethel University. The campus is beautiful. Canadian geese and goslings congregate on the plush lawn and unlike geese I see in the remote places, these geese did not care that we were walking by so close to them. They didn't appear to give us a second glance. There is a little lake in front of Benson Hall and I heard a sora rail call out as I walked in the building. We walked through a stylish building and I found myself in the nose bleed seats. The main stage was so far away the people looked like ants. We were spaced very far apart from each other. The graduating class had between 40 and 50 students in it and I was impressed by how orderly and respectful they were. As the students marched in with their bright blue robes and blue caps Pomp and Circumstance played on a loop tape. I love that song. The music is so stately and elegant. I found myself whistling the tune all the way home. There were quite a few speeches by school staff and they were nicely short in length. Two or three students spoke. One home advisor spoke. His advice was to be where your feet are (focus on the moment at hand), don't compare yourself to others (be yourself instead of who you think other people want you to be), and remain curious about the world around you. I thought he had good advice. There was a slideshow of the students. My niece had a huge smile on her face as a big yellow snake wrapped itself around her neck and down her body. I know for a fact she loves reptiles. My nephew had several photos of him representing the Future Farmers of America and also dressed in chains as Jacob Marley. I had my phone magnified so I could catch the moment when they walked across the stage to get their yellow flower, diploma, and gift box. The lady in front of me had a big head that got in the way every time I tried to take my nephew's picture. Before the students exit the stage they pose for a photo at the marked spot on the floor. He put his flower in his mouth and hammed it up for the photo which was not caught by me because of the lady's big head. I did catch my niece as she posed though. Afterward the students threw their hats in the air and quietly filed out to the warm summer evening outside. As you can see the sun cast long shadows on the lawn. After talking for a while and offering congratulations, I headed out to the parking lot for my car where I saw this painted turtle laying her eggs in the black soil of the lawn. I've seen snapping turtles lay eggs. I have seen soft shelled turtles lay eggs. This is the first time I have seen a painted turtle laying eggs. What a great evening I had. I was lucky to be invited.