The pomp was provided by the bagpipe. The circumstance? Three small letters that represent hundreds of thousands of others written, pages and pages of prose boiled down: MFA.
But there was no "Pomp and Circumstance" at this graduation. There was "Scotland the Brave" instead. There were the dozen brave, the members of S3Q2 who took the long walk down the aisle, smiling, smiling, around the fan, up the center, a squeeze of a hand, love tangible. Chairs to the right of the ornate organ.
There was the heat of the full chapel, the walk to the microphone. "Tis the gift to be simple, tis the gift to be free. Tis the gift to come down where you ought to be. And when we find ourselves in the place just right, 'twill be in the valley of love and delight." Words of gratitude for the givers of the gift.
The speech, the readings, the hooding, the hugging. The diploma. Ginger Johnson, MFA. "O frabjous day! Calloo! Callay!" She chortled in her joy.
Stop! You're making me cry all over again! It was a wonderful ceremony - truly the best graduation I've ever been to. I'm so proud of you! I also can't wait to read more of your stories...the reading was wonderful, but not nearly enough. :)
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Ging. It was a lovely speech, and a lovely day.
ReplyDeleteI'm sad I wasn't there. I had to chose between the graduation and WTHS, and being the selfish bugger than I am, I chose the latter. But I am ridiculously proud of you. And if I don't get to read something you have written soon, I might burst.
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