AUTHOR’S GAB, READER TALK.
A LETTER TO YOU, THE READER, SO THAT YOU CAN FINALLY FIGURE OUT WHAT I’M THINKING.
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THIS MONTH: Graduation
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“I was frightened and disappointed: [the wedding] was over, but nothing extraordinary, nothing worthy of the Sacrament I had just recieved, had taken place in myself. ‘Is that all?’ I thought.”
— Leo Tolstoy
Dear Reader(s),
Ad Lib has always been about what’s on my mind, and it’s safe to say that I have a lot on my mind this month. Shortly, my long wait to graduate will finally be over. I will have walked the plank, so to speak. And, what then? That remains to be seen.
On Friday, June 10, 2011, I can guarantee I will be wearing purple. I’m certain that I will most likely smell like a magnolia blossom, that my hair will be cut and styled, and my nails will be done. I probably will be greeting guests at my house sometime in the afternoon, and, in the evening, I will definitely, for probably the very first time in my life, be at on the gym floor of the Palace of Auburn Hills. And, among thousands, with family and friends watching, I will shake the hand of the smiling dean as my name and degree are announced overhead. He will say, “Congratulations”, I will walk off-stage, turn my tassel over, throw my square, green cap high into the air, catch it, and, then, it will be over. I will still be Jessica Anne McLean, but I will have graduated from Oakland Community College (O.C.C.). And, two weeks later, in the mail, I will receive my diploma, which will declare that I have obtained an associate’s degree in Global Studies. Many will congratulate me, and I will smile, both inside and out.
Oxford American Dictionaries defines graduation as “the receiving or conferring of an academic degree or diploma; the ceremony upon which degrees are conferred”. To achieve an associate’s degree, I had to slave through 63 credit hours of schooling, a process which took me about 3 years to complete, not including the year I spent attending Taylor University (T.U.). Through this time, I struggled a lot- not with my studies, but with myself. Yet, reflecting upon this, it was a really edifying time for me, something which will make me a better individual in the future. So, for me, for all the times when I told myself I was a failure, this graduation ceremony (and open house) is indicating more than just the fact that I finished college at O.C.C. on May 2nd. It is a mountaintop: a time where I can look back and feel righteously victorious. I have championed.
But, let’s not focus too much on the past; let’s concentrate on what’s going on right now. Originally, getting an associate’s degree wasn’t in my plan, but, now, somehow, it is. I guess, over time, I realized how much it could help me accomplish my goal of becoming a professional writer. By majoring in Global Studies, I actually gave myself a topic to write about, something to fall back on. Thus, in essence, this degree simply represents a right step in my lifelong journey, and nothing else. I’m not suddenly going to turn into superwoman when I receive my diploma, but I may become more of myself. And yet, at this moment, nothing feels different to me; although, some may comment on how I currently should be eulogizing myself ecstatically.
There’s a pretty famous song by Vitamin C called “Graduation (Friends Forever)” that is usually played for such an occasion. It’s so true, isn’t it? The final verse proclaims:
“Will we think about tomorrow like we think about now?/ Can we survive it out there?/Can we make it somehow?/ I guess I thought that this would never end/ And suddenly it’s like we’re women and men/ Will the past be a shadow that will follow us ’round?/ Will these memories fade when I leave this town/ I keep, keep thinking that it’s not goodbye/ Keep on thinking it’s a time to fly”.
What I think this song is saying is that, while I can celebrate my achievement, I also have to look at what it means for my future. I can’t let the past follow me around all the time. I have to move on. But, moving on requires taking charge of my own destiny and embracing my own independence, which requires commitment on my part. I admit, the thought of committing to my own life is pretty scary, yet it’s a necessary evil. If I take a moment and think about it, there are thousands more people going through what I have to go through this month. Every June, the slogan in your corner store probably declares “Cards for Dads and Grads”, which makes graduation a really appropriate topic for any June, really. It’s a time when people are thrown pell-mell into their futures and ask the tough questions.
But, it’s not just the masses. It’s the moment I wake up and realize that life is rough and takes a hell of a lot of hard work. It certainly is easier to wake up every morning and mindlessly stare at Facebook or Farmville. That’s also a good way to apathetically wake up one morning and shockingly realize that I’m thirty- some year old nobody. Because, just like writing, independence starts from within. I have to believe that I’m a capable adult who doesn’t accept the easy way out for it to occur. Willpower is everything; my journey begins today. School, unfortunately, is only just the first step, one goal in a million.
Thus, even before I graduate from O.C.C., I’m already registered for classes at Oakland University. I hope to continue on and get my bachelor’s degree there, in hopes that it might complete my training to become a journalist. I haven’t picked a major yet, but I’ve been meeting with advisors regularly. In fact, I didn’t even need to attend orientation because I had already done it by the time it occurred! In the mean time, I hope to add a charm to the Brighton bracelet my aunt gave me for my 21st birthday, to commemorate my accomplishments: this one is for my graduation.
Thanks again to all my readers for, well, reading! Happy June to you! Take care!
Sincerely, Your Author,
Jessica McLean
Works Cited“The Pygmalion Project.” Keirsey Temperament Website. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://www.keirsey.com/pyg_idealist.aspx>.Stevenson, Angus, and Christine A. Lindberg, eds. “Graduation.” Def. 1. Oxford American Dictionaries. 3rd ed. 2010. Print.Vitamin C. “Graduation (Friends Forever).” Vitamin C. Elektra Entertainment and WEA International Inc., 1999. MP3.……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
The Rose 