Today was a big day in our family.
Rayann graduated from West Chester University!
I had trouble understanding some of the trappings that went along with the ceremony.
There were three asterisks next to her name. I never had any such thing next to my name, so I assumed she was in some kind of trouble.
Turns out they put those next to the names of students who do exceedingly well.
She graduated Summa Cum Laude. [I am not even sure I spelled that correctly]
She had all kinds of fancy chords that went with her robe. Again, nothing I ever had to worry about.
Turns out that those who are more engaged with their coursework get to wear all kinds of chords.
When I graduated college my father was extremely impressed.
Impressed with Lamar Nisely, the guy who sat next to me.
Lamar was one of those asterisk-getting, chord-wearing kind of people.
He must have been called up on stage to receive seven or eight awards during our graduation ceremony.
I had to stand up in order for him to pass by each time he left to go up front, and then return to his seat.
My father’s comment, “That Lamar was surely impressive. He had you jumping all during graduation.”
I am so glad that Rayann got her scholarly mind from her mother.
The Picture Sparks a Memory
The picture of Rayann at graduation was taken by someone who was watching via the live stream in North Carolina. They captured the moment perfectly. Nancy, Joseph, and I were a ways away sitting atop the bleachers.
Looking at the picture it reminded me of April 12, 1981.
The space shuttle Columbia launched for the first time.
My father took his camera and laid on our living room floor with the lens focused on the television. He took picture after picture trying to get just the screen and none of the sides of the television.
We waited weeks for the film to return from processing…only to find that in each picture you could see a corner of the tv cabinet.
Incredible how far we have come since that day.
Picture taken of television in NC, image texted to family in Pa, posted on FB for the world to see in just under ten minutes.
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