Now I'm done with school, I've only got the rest of my life left

I graduate today. And then I'm not in school. Nothing much has changed to my plan, still going to come back and continue my internship, still looking forward to a life free of looming deadlines. But that's not really what I want to talk about. What I want to talk about is the expectation of walking that stage.

It's a pretty big dream, growing up. Walking up those stairs to look at a multitude of important people. You walk, one foot in front of the other, and the biggest cognition filling your mind is "God I hope I don't trip,". because really, that's what we all fear most. People talk in hushed whispers about the guy a friend saw at another guy's graduation who fell on his face in front of everyone. I don't want to be him. So I'm going to concentrate so much on not tripping on my own feet that I imagine it's going to resemble a duck.

Then of course you have to run the gamut of choreographed handshakes, handoffs, and more handshakes. It's the Dean. stop, pose for the pic shaking his hand while simultaneously taking your diploma (cover), but crisscross, because he wants to shake your right hand, and hand it off to your left. Then you've got to whisk by him, pay give a quick hello to Lynda, and then be on your way down the stairs. Only then, with that less fear fading, do I think it's going to seem real.

And why is the Dean the one who is going to give me my diploma (cover)? It seems to me that Lynda should be giving me that $60,000 diploma (cover), sense I've interacted with her on nearly a daily basis. What has the Dean ever done for me? I don't remember him teaching any classes, or showing me anything in a lab. Ever. Still, I suppose traditions are around for a reason, even if we don't know them.

I'll have to be disappointed about my fans, too. Half of my family decided not to show up. Oh, the immediate family is here, but the supposedly tight knight side of my father's family were suddenly too busy to come to Missouri. I should still have an impressive cheering section though. Look for the giant crowd of people. That's them.

Well, that's about it. I'm off now to finish a few things. Time stops for no man. If you're at the graduation ceremony, look for me. I'm the one in the cap and gown.