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| Not-a-real-diploma |
The year 1969 brought graduation from high school. Thank you, God.
The senior year had been one of hard work, very hard
work. My whole college life depended
on the sacred "win" of a scholarship. Long story
there, but anxiety level was such that I developed an ulcer and lost twenty
pounds.
My GPA before senior year had been a miserable 3.5; it could
not, would not “win” me much. The word “win”
was confusing then and is now. One could
not “win” anything as precious as a scholarship. One could claw up the mountain of hope and perhaps
make it to the top, holding that gold medal scholarship high.
End of school and graduation--- a memory I will never
forget. I was one of four valedictorians.
Our high school had a policy that if the
GPAs were so close by the middle of May, there would be three or four
valedictorians. This “win” required me
to speak at graduation.
A scholarship was soundly mine. A selected college accepted my application. I
had a speech written and then re-written in my head.
The other two and I practiced our speeches in an empty gym, where our
words sounded hollow. The fourth declined speaking at the commencement, so shy.
I “won” the position of the final speaker, the one who would
introduce the specially invited speaker.
Even though I knew each word, each nuance, something changed as I looked
out at the other graduates, knowing each one, suspecting their dreams and
hopes.
Some boys, too many boys would be heading to Vietnam. A few pregnant girls would be getting married
in a few days, since the district’s policy forbid married students from
attending school. College, farming,
marriage, vocational schools, and just moving somewhere were the rest of
the tasseled hats.
What did I say? Tell
you in two days.
This post is dedicated to Joanne Noragon who asked an important question after my three UFO posts: I'll enjoy seeing how college changed your outlook and furthered your education. What was the big letdown?
