Friday, December 9, friends, family, and professors from the college all filled the chapel. All the graduates stood outside waiting to process inside. He stood in the middle of the line shivering as the snow slowly began to fall. He heard, "When is this going to start? I'm freezing." come from some chick behind him. Other girls chimed in too.
"Calm down," he thought, "we'll be warm soon enough."
The music started and they all processed in. Everyone was wearing smiles of sweet relief. Their time had finally come to an end.
It's been a long four and a half years. The countless hours of studying, living in the library, computer labs, rehearsals in practice rooms, the gallons of coffee, had all come down to that moment. Where they walk across the stage to receive their diplomas.
The pastor started the ceremony with an invocation, and then handed things over to a student representative to talk about their time in school. She retold the stories that were clean enough to tell from all the good times she had had. He clapped slowly, "that was a moving speech. Really touched my soul." He was really just ready for the whole thing to be over.
After a standing ovation, it was finally time for the graduates to receive their diplomas. Once again, standing in a line, they waited for their names to be called. Slowly but surely names were called off. He could only think, "Please God, let them say my name right. That's all I want.
It was his time. His name was read off. He looked down and hesitated for a quick second. "This is it," he thought, "There is no turning back. There is no restart button. All that is left, is that moment, right there." He looked up and over to his family. Everyone was smiling. pictures were being taken, and tears of joy were rolling down his mother's cheek. He looked at his friends. He remembered all the good times they had shared together, and how he wouldn't have traded that day for any other day.
The then looked on stage, there was his dad. Preparing to hand him the keys to the rest of his life. A lump formed in his throat and a tear slowly fell from his eye. He shook his father's hand and gave him the biggest hug they had ever shared. And in that moment, he whispered, "Your grandpa would be so proud."
Part 1: The Inner Monologue of a Fifth Year: Class
