Six Years

Six years ago on this day a nervous 18-year-old stood waiting in a line with people she hardly knew. She primped her bushy hair and smoothed out her very attractive golden gown. When the line started moving her heart skipped a beat. As she entered the stadium she scoured the crowd and miraculously spotted her parents, brother, sister-in-law, and her niece waving and smiling at her. She was upset that her sister and sister's family had not shown up but she tried her best to ignore it. Like a solider going to battle she marched single file until she was led down a row of seats where she ended up sitting on the aisle.

As the program began she spotted a few of her friends throughout the crowd of nearly 2,000. She laughed at a friend who had been roped into singing with the choir (even though the friend enjoyed her role in the ceremony). She even spotted a boy she liked and blushed a little when he waved to her. (Ah, schmaltzy teenage affection!) After an hour and a half or so of listening to boring speeches and watching nearly everyone else take "the walk" her row stood up and, again, she obediently followed.

Once she had made it to the back of the stage her palms began to sweat and her heart pounded like a kettle drum. She then heard whisperings of some of the people ahead of her. There had apparently been a mistake. The end of the S's and the beginning of the T's had come down before the end of the R's and the beginning of the S's. She realized that as an "SU" she would be walking before someone she knew who was an "ST". She panicked for a minute and wondered if this alphabetical error would cost her from walking. However, as those ahead of her began to walk without a problem she knew she would be fine.

Finally the big moment came. As she stood at the "doorway" the student body president (with whom she always had thought was very, very cute) looked at her name card and said it to her in full to make sure it had been pronounced correctly. She nodded nervously and when she heard her name echoed overhead she walked tall down the walkway. The principal and some administrators shook her hand and one of them asked where she would be going to college.
"Utah State," she mumbled nervously. She then paused for a picture (where her parents later decided NOT to buy because it totally was a rip-off) where they handed her the diploma frame and she made her way back to her seat.

After it was all over she pushed her way outside through the crowd, took pictures with her family, and once she returned the fabulous golden gown (although it was better then the brown that the boys had to wear) a PTA lady pulled a piece of paper out of a file and handed it to her. She stared at the paper for the moment before she slid it into the leather, book-style frame.
Thirteen years of public schooling had brought her to this moment. Steph had graduated from high school.

...

As I sit here six years later I can still recall moments of that day quite well (obviously). Although my life is not exactly what I thought it would be I can not deny that I have come down quite a road and have accomplished a lot since then. I am hoping to be a part of another graduation ceremony in the next year as I have recently learned that I am officially a college senior. Who knows what else could happen along the way? I guess it is true--today is the first day of the rest of my life.