Trumpets sound. Bells in the bell tower chime. Crowds cheer, and I ascend to my throne, waving. I am no longer a mere student. I am a graduate.
Okay, so trumpets didn’t sound, but bells did ring and crowds did cheer (for me and for the many others that I sat with—in fold out chairs, not thrones). I will say the fold out chairs were cushioned quite nicely.
When I graduated from high school, over 600 students walked across the stage. Less students graduated from my college, the College of Humanities. However, walking through the underground tunnels, getting featured on the jumbotron, and having professionals snap my photos along the way was nice—even if they never sent me the photos.
During all of my graduation, I happened to find and sit by a friend. I knew her from work and from school, so we had much to talk about. Laughing and smiling and clapping continued until the last moment, when we moved our white tassels from the right of our cap to the left. We had finished university. We had earned our bachelor’s.
A lot more happened that day. I fought through the chaotic crowd to find members of my writing group and snap a photo together. I sat through my husband’s (at the time) graduation, which lasted twice as long as mine. We went out to eat at one of my favorite local food joints. I finally took off my heels and then we hung out with family, entertaining our nieces for the rest of the day.
We had a few more photos left to take that weekend, but ultimately, we were done. We had finished.
What now?
They say that with a bachelor’s degree in English, you can do anything. You know, as long as it includes reading and writing and nothing with STEM. I want to get involved in the book world, as you all might have noticed. If I had desired this even twenty years ago, or just to be safe, let’s say forty years ago, I would have sent an application and received approval without many to contest me.
Nowadays, everyone wants to write. Everyone wants to edit. Everyone wants to get involved in the publishing industry, and most want to get involved so they can get published by the publishing industry. My applications are not uncontested, and while I love my university, I didn’t go to NYU. Nothing I submit to will be automatically approved.
The way forward is daunting, but it’s not dark. No matter how many times I try, I know I’ll find my way. I feel the support of God. I feel that there’s something good I can do by following this path. So, follow it I will.
I’m not sure how long this will take, but along the way, I’ll continue to give everyone updates. Don’t forget that I’m also providing updates on my Instagram (and might I mention, I give book recommendations on Tuesdays).
I hope that my journey will show you that our efforts to put good into the world are not wasted. Please do the same. Add more good into the world. I believe there’s a light we can all give. If you’re not sure what you can contribute, trust me when I say you have something good to give. Everyone does, and you’re no exception. You’re just as special.
Until next time, your graduate,
MRC ❤
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