Graduation day

I went to Li-Fu's graduation ceremony yesterday and it was for college of business graduates. When we got there at 8 in the morning, there was already a long line from admission entrance all the way to the parking lot. I don't know the exact number but I guess it was at least two hundred graduates there,let alone their family members. The line actually moved quite fast and not too long we went into the auditorium lobby. Surrounding by these graduates made me feel a little bit weird. If I got into the graduate program I wanted,I would be here attending this ceremony just like them also.I found some familiar faces: my freshman study gal,my group member for a class this semester, my classmate in summer class,etc,etc.

This morning was a special moment for them, graduating from college and moving on with their career after college. I felt somewhat left behind.I felt that I was still stuck in school while my peers already got started to step into the real world.I was worried that from now on, their concern would be much bigger than mine that I would still cared a lot about schoolwork about grades about professors and about tiny little things in life while others would focus on their career development and real life challenges.

Our school president was not present but the Business school dean was there hosting the ceremony. The speech he gave apparently used too many quotes. Some of them were wise and interesting to hear while some were too wordy and irrelevant to those who sat there just waiting to have their tassels to turn to left. I liked some of the quotes in the speech that says "Education is not a journey but not a destination.", "Your living is what you get but your life is what you give."

The whole ceremony did not last too long. People were all smiling, taking pictures outdoors, asking/talking about future plans. We just took a couple of pictures then left for lunch. When I got home in the afternoon, my roommate was busy packing her stuff with her Mom. She was a graduate of Liberal Arts and Sciences so I was not able to see her ceremony this morning. As I'm writing this post, she's already been flying for a couple of hours to New Jersey. This time yesterday I was talking to her when she and her Mom walked in and out to move their bags and luggage, throwing things "aggressively" because of the luggage weight limits. It was interesting to see that how many stuff you bought, received, stocked in college when you were finally cleaning up everything to move out. A lot of thing became valueless and needed to be trashed out. We've all been through this. Throwing stuff mercilessly when we hasten to pack and leave.After my roommate finished packing, some close friends of ours all gathered up at a restaurant for celebration of graduation and also for farewell. The dinner was not very special. Either was the ending.

Me and Mona suggested that we'd all go to Sanctuary for more drinks but Ava and Jason did not want to go. I know that they would need time this evening to say goodbye and maybe plan future a little bit. I understand totally.So all of us hugged Ava goodbye and separated our way in front of the restaurant. It was just like a regular and very brief farewell party. Later on, the rest of us bought a bottle of Bailey's and drank at our apartment. Li-Fu had to drive to Chicago the next morning so he left soon. It was not exactly the ending I was expecting last night. :)



But after being Ava's "twin sister" for nearly four years in college, I learned that to give the most respect to her choices and her way of living her life is indeed to show the most care I have. And I don't want an extraordinary ending that looks like a REAL ENDING. It's just too unnatural. I'll just let it flow smoothly, instead of stopping here summarizing our happy times spent in college. At this point, I take where life takes me and people around me. So if me and Ava have a bond in there, there won't be an ending today just because she graduated and life will bring us together again.

So it was actually a satisfactory ending for the dinner and for college graduation celebration. Everything is changing fast around me and I have to adjust myself faster too. :D

Wish Ava good luck on everything after she moves back to NJ. Friends in Iowa like me will miss her a lot. Really.