Commencement

Who actually likes going to Commencement ceremonies? I don't see any hands raised.

I taught my first class of 8th graders five years ago, and they just graduated on Friday night. Go them! As a token of my sentimental heart, I even braved being in the car for another fifty minute drive (one way) so I could be there.

What I will say for this small town is that they sure know how to put on a graduation. It was outdoors in their stadium, and at the end of May, the weather is usually nice for it—nice for people like me, at any rate, who don't start sweating the second it gets above 70 degrees. The breeze was nice enough to keep things comfortable but not so strong that it messed up my hair. That was a good thing, because I used a flat iron for the first time in about a year.

The other great thing about it was that the wind kept hitting the microphones so we didn't have to hear very much of the speeches. I was slightly disappointed I couldn't hear the salutatorian better, but oh, well. He's a good kid, and I could guess what he said.

And—here's the most remarkable thing—all the administrators and community organization representatives kept their speeches short and sweet! Nothing over five minutes. Wow. It shifted the focus to the actual graduates, who were able to walk leisurely down their strip of track, get their diplomas, hug the announcers, and get their tassels switched.

It was all over in less than 90 minutes. I think that might be record timing.