Tabby's Great Big (It's Associate's So It Doesn't Matter!) Graduation Post
First, a speech by me.
If it has been said once, it has been said many times before: Life is a journey. Whether we imagine it as a grand expedition to the top of Everest, or a hike along forest trails; whether we see it as a trip to the bottom of the ocean or to the bottom of the planet; whether we envision it as a trek to places previously unseen, or an excursion back to times long past, there is one thing that is true: no matter what the destination, the path we walk will be full of forks.
A fork is defined as “a dividing into branches”. Much like the geographic roads that cross the world, the road of life is littered with such divisions. The only true difference is that we call these divisions “choices”. Whether it is to take a shortcut in our morning commute or to move to a new place, our lives, and thus the road we follow along, are built up and defined by the choices we make.
Each of us here has made a choice and walked down the road provided by a fork in each of our lives. That fork, and that decision, is what has led you down the road to today, the destination we have all reached for: graduation. The choice made was to seek a higher education.
The roads of education that cross the paths of our lives are unique in that, while there is indeed a destination, reaching it is not the most important goal. The most important goal is to look at the world around you, the scenery of the road, with the intent of finding out something that you previously did not know. There are many of us that choose to follow this particular road with the intent of just reaching the destination and reaping the rewards that follow. But it is while we traveled this road of education that we discovered something we would not have otherwise.
It is these roads that teach us something more important than just our major or focus of study. That something is how to look around you and take in each experience as a piece of knowledge to add to your collection. This collection is never truly complete, but it is our lessons from the roads of education that teach us how to pry these gems from elsewhere.
As we have all reached the destination of graduation, we find ourselves yet again facing another fork in our road of life, another choice. At this fork there are two roads. One road leads to the collection of experience. The other, the collection of education. But it has been our time on the previous road that gives us the ability to choose. We know, no matter what our choice will be, we will always be learning along the road of life. Just as with any other trip, the roads of education have taught us that it is not the destination that matters most, but instead the voyage that brought us there. It is not where our life ends that is the defining point, but the things we learned and chose to do during it that really tells who we are.
It is with this realization that I give to you a piece of advice: no matter how focused you are on the end of the road and what you will find there, do not forget to take the time to examine your scenery. Do not just let life happen to you; live it. Do not just go through the motions; experience it. Do not let a moment go by unfulfilled. Remember, there is a world of information out there. At the next fork in your life, do you want to be missing any of it when you make a choice?
And now, for some lame pictures of Bryan and me.
This is the entireity of the stinky CNS class; well, those that showed and actually graduated. I'm on the far left, the girl next to me is Tiffany, and Bryan's behind us both.
One of the few pictures you'll probably ever see of Bryan and I. Aren't we a cute couple. :P God, I hate pictures of me. I have a ton, but I'm just not picturesque in anyway. That, and I have chin fat that just won't go away.
See, Bryan at least looks half way decent. Me? Well...
I look less than pleased to be there.
But can you blame me? I had to sit on stage.
And then talk.
Nice tassel-swinging there, Bryan.
I ask Cormier before we get up for my valedictorian medal, "Is that going to fit over my hat?" He replies, "No problem." Once it's go-time? The guy can't get it over my hat. Jackass.
Aaand then there was chin-fat. *disgusted with own appearance* Also, oh Cormier. :P
OMG THE DIRECTOR IS TOUCHING ME KILL IT WITH FIRE.
I think this picture of Bryan getting his not-so-degree is funny. Bryan is perfectly still, but the Director is all blurry. Fantastic. XD
This picture is big and I didn't crop it much like the others because I want Bryan to point out which jackasses were making fun of me. :(
More of Tabetha's it's-not-fake-really smiling and a shot of all three student speakers. The girl on the left was my graduation buddy, the person I could make little tiny small talk with throughout the ceremony.
Just beautiful, Tabby.
There were more pictures, to be sure, but it was a lot of people I didn't know, a lot of blurriness, a lot of me talking, and one of Bryan and I together that doesn't do either of us justice, so I was merciful and left it out.
Now that I've gone through all of that, to the part that no one will read!
We left at a little before four and Dad drove us to Starbucks. This after some last minute stuff such as Mom freaking out about the wrinkles in my robe ("You're valedictorian! They expect better!"), but sitting in the car while the parents got their coffee-style drinks was a bit of a pain. Then we start to go where we need to go... only to get stuck behind a train. And then in traffic on the 15. Then in traffic on some street that I can't remember. Then on Maryland Parkway. Then in traffic on Flamingo. Then in traffic on the 95. Needless to say, we didn't get there at 5 on the button, and by the time we did get there, we were all freaking out about being late. They drop me off at the doors and I rush to the back to grab my robe, hat, speech, all of that. By the time I got in, my hair was a wreck from the wind. Fucking sucks. I get my cord and a program, but let Mom have it... I instead was more preoccupied with getting my robe and hat and cord on. I was kind of freaking out by now, being winded from adrenaline at the thought of being valedictorian and late, and also at the prospect of having to give my speech. Whatshername then tried to get all the CNS people together so that she could figure out who was here and who wasn't, because we would have to take a group picture later. She noticed that I had papers, more papers than other people, and asked if I got valedictorian. I said yes, and she told me that I might be getting a "big-ass medal", but she wasn't sure, because she thought that maybe they changed it.
Then we took pictures. Yeah. Uneventful. I hate having pictures of me taken. As you can see above. And why. Jesus Christ, I don't know what Bryan sees in me. I'm hideous.
Anyway.
After pictures, we started to get all lined up for later. I was worried as to where I would have to sit because Cormier had told me previously that I would be sitting in a different place, but yet they had me sitting next to Garret and some other guy. The Career Services Bitch Amy noticed that that was wrong and moved me to the front, but not before I was assaulted by Bryan's family. They really do love me too much. Dawn read the first half of my speech and said she liked it, including a few lines that she really liked. It was good and really needed ego boost, so that was great. Once I was in the front, I was in a swarm of electronics people, so I felt really alone. Then the girl who was supposed to sit next to me was looking for where she was supposed to be, and I helped her out. She then asked Bethke as to why Wadsworth wasn't there, whoever the hell that is. Bethke tells her he has a class tonight, and I come to the discovery that he was a fellow student with her. "Are you serious, you guys let him teach? What's he doing?" Apparently, the Inventor (?) class, Tuesday and Friday nights. I then realize that that was the lab we crashed Tuesday night. I tell her that I saw his class on Tuesday night. She was very amused.
Then we had to walk in, and I came to the horrific realization that I wasn't just sitting away from everyone else. I WAS SITTING ON STAGE. I wanted to die. Then there was much talking, from Mr. Ho and from, of all people, Dina Titus. And then it was go-time for us speakers.
Marco was first, thank god. But as he started to talk, thanking his family and friends and the faculty, I started to panic. As you saw, my speech had nothing to do with that sort of thing. I had modeled it after the speeches from my high school graduation. Something insightful, a piece of advice to give to your fellow graduates, blah blah blah. Not... what Marco did. He was done very quickly, the director thanked him and then called me up.
I did the speech, and I don't have a video yet, but I will soon, because hunter_nina wants one. I spent a lot of time not looking up when I should have and stumbled a few times. But I took a much longer time then Marco and then the girl after me, Kristine. She, by the way, soon became my graduation-buddy because we chatted once in a while during the ceremony. Dad said that every mature adult in the room was thinking to themselves while I talked, but Bryan said that some jackasses where the graduates were sitting were making fun of me taking too long. But he also said they were making fun of the whole thing. But it really hurt to hear that. :(
Her speech was super short, and she wrote it to be so. I later discovered that she hadn't gotten valedictorian, although she had the same gold cord the rest of the Highest Honors people did. Then some chick sang Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You". Then the first things handed out were attendance awards, I was all ready to clap for Bryan. Cormier was babbling something to me about me getting one, but I knew he wasn't talking to me. After all, I had gotten sick once. Also, I took a week off to go to Disneyland. The next thing I know, my name was called for the second time that night (Always "Tabetha Jo Carlson", sheesh.) and my head did a quick snap. What? Me? Attendance? Certainly not. But it was so. I got the little plaque to prove it. I sat back down, dumbfounded. "I don't deserve this," I say to my buddy. "I took a week off to go to Disneyland."
"It was probably on average," she says. "They might give me a 'Thanks for showing up' plaque, because I was never there."
Bryan got his, and later said that I didn't deserve mine, because of my vacation. :P
Then it was valedictorian medal time. Marco was first. Then me. I asked Cormier if it would fit over my hat, and he said it would. He had trouble doing so. What an ass. I sat back down, and Kristine wasn't called. Why did she have to talk? Also, I didn't know I got valedictorian for the WHOLE School of IT. I thought it was just for CNS. But, considering that that only also included the programmers... But still. All of the School of IT. Wow. Also, Joe got valedictorian for whatever school he's in. At only Honors. And he didn't have to talk. WTF I TOTALLY GOT GIPPED OF THIS TALKING THING.
Finally, it was degree time. Cormier was the only one who didn't say "Tabetha Jo Carlson" when he called my name. Thank god somebody didn't. Anyway. Marco was valedictorian, and when he got to sit back down, his little folder thing was empty. "Oh," I say, "they must give them to us later, so they don't get them mixed up." I go up, have to shake hands with the Director, do my loop around the back of the stage to sit back down at my chair, and discover that I DID get my degree. So. Marco was gipped. Anyway.
After all of that, we all had to stand for a good five minutes straight while people took pictures. Jesus Christ. Some of us were in heels. Even my buddy was all, "I'm in heels, let me sit. I'm a flip-flop kind of girl." She noticed the people I was making faces at (my family) and discovered my twin brothers. So there was a little discussiona bout that before we FINALLY got to sit again. And then, we got marched out, where I was then assaulted by my family and Bryan's. Bryan's aunts gave me a card that had a $50 giftcard in it for the Cheesecake Factory. Just about everyone in Bryan's family liked my speech, and Bryan's uncle(?) (You know I can't keep your piles of family straight.) asked if it wrote it myself, which I did, of course. Parents took a picture of use together, and soemone in Bryan's family did the same. Bryan, why did your aunts be all... "Oh, we have got to get together, we've heard such itneresting things about you," to Mom? What did they mean?
Anyway, we did eventually leave and I got more cards from my family. I sappy card from my parents, but a Dr. Seuss card from my brothers. That one resonated with me more. Not that they thought of this, but The Foot Book was the first book I read when I was two. I asked Mom if she picked it out because of that, and how it started me down the road, and she said, "No. I just picked it out because I know you like Dr. Seuss. I wish I had put that much thought into it, though."
Dad drives along on Sunset and I think that we're going to Outback, finally yes. But then he turns into Best Buy. WTF? Apparently, my graduation gift was to be a new stereo, a good one that won't die. We didn't get one last night, though, because the one we wanted wasn't in. We finally go get food and then come home.
Mom felt like crap that she didn't get Bryan something, but now they're saying it should hold off until he passes Composition 2, anyway. Today, we went to Fry's (Amber, you weren't working, were you?) and got my new stereo. We then went to the commissary, and I got sushi for lunch tomorrow, and then Mom and Dad went to Walmart. They got you a card, by the way, Bryan.
Anyway, that's it! Tomorrow I'm going to get a card for Bryan, and Bryan says he has a gift from his family for me, but what the hell.
I still have homework to do. I hope you've enjoyed this traversing into Tabby's Graduation Theatre.
If it has been said once, it has been said many times before: Life is a journey. Whether we imagine it as a grand expedition to the top of Everest, or a hike along forest trails; whether we see it as a trip to the bottom of the ocean or to the bottom of the planet; whether we envision it as a trek to places previously unseen, or an excursion back to times long past, there is one thing that is true: no matter what the destination, the path we walk will be full of forks.
A fork is defined as “a dividing into branches”. Much like the geographic roads that cross the world, the road of life is littered with such divisions. The only true difference is that we call these divisions “choices”. Whether it is to take a shortcut in our morning commute or to move to a new place, our lives, and thus the road we follow along, are built up and defined by the choices we make.
Each of us here has made a choice and walked down the road provided by a fork in each of our lives. That fork, and that decision, is what has led you down the road to today, the destination we have all reached for: graduation. The choice made was to seek a higher education.
The roads of education that cross the paths of our lives are unique in that, while there is indeed a destination, reaching it is not the most important goal. The most important goal is to look at the world around you, the scenery of the road, with the intent of finding out something that you previously did not know. There are many of us that choose to follow this particular road with the intent of just reaching the destination and reaping the rewards that follow. But it is while we traveled this road of education that we discovered something we would not have otherwise.
It is these roads that teach us something more important than just our major or focus of study. That something is how to look around you and take in each experience as a piece of knowledge to add to your collection. This collection is never truly complete, but it is our lessons from the roads of education that teach us how to pry these gems from elsewhere.
As we have all reached the destination of graduation, we find ourselves yet again facing another fork in our road of life, another choice. At this fork there are two roads. One road leads to the collection of experience. The other, the collection of education. But it has been our time on the previous road that gives us the ability to choose. We know, no matter what our choice will be, we will always be learning along the road of life. Just as with any other trip, the roads of education have taught us that it is not the destination that matters most, but instead the voyage that brought us there. It is not where our life ends that is the defining point, but the things we learned and chose to do during it that really tells who we are.
It is with this realization that I give to you a piece of advice: no matter how focused you are on the end of the road and what you will find there, do not forget to take the time to examine your scenery. Do not just let life happen to you; live it. Do not just go through the motions; experience it. Do not let a moment go by unfulfilled. Remember, there is a world of information out there. At the next fork in your life, do you want to be missing any of it when you make a choice?
And now, for some lame pictures of Bryan and me.
This is the entireity of the stinky CNS class; well, those that showed and actually graduated. I'm on the far left, the girl next to me is Tiffany, and Bryan's behind us both.
One of the few pictures you'll probably ever see of Bryan and I. Aren't we a cute couple. :P God, I hate pictures of me. I have a ton, but I'm just not picturesque in anyway. That, and I have chin fat that just won't go away.
See, Bryan at least looks half way decent. Me? Well...
I look less than pleased to be there.
But can you blame me? I had to sit on stage.
And then talk.
Nice tassel-swinging there, Bryan.
I ask Cormier before we get up for my valedictorian medal, "Is that going to fit over my hat?" He replies, "No problem." Once it's go-time? The guy can't get it over my hat. Jackass.
Aaand then there was chin-fat. *disgusted with own appearance* Also, oh Cormier. :P
OMG THE DIRECTOR IS TOUCHING ME KILL IT WITH FIRE.
I think this picture of Bryan getting his not-so-degree is funny. Bryan is perfectly still, but the Director is all blurry. Fantastic. XD
This picture is big and I didn't crop it much like the others because I want Bryan to point out which jackasses were making fun of me. :(
More of Tabetha's it's-not-fake-really smiling and a shot of all three student speakers. The girl on the left was my graduation buddy, the person I could make little tiny small talk with throughout the ceremony.
Just beautiful, Tabby.
There were more pictures, to be sure, but it was a lot of people I didn't know, a lot of blurriness, a lot of me talking, and one of Bryan and I together that doesn't do either of us justice, so I was merciful and left it out.
Now that I've gone through all of that, to the part that no one will read!
We left at a little before four and Dad drove us to Starbucks. This after some last minute stuff such as Mom freaking out about the wrinkles in my robe ("You're valedictorian! They expect better!"), but sitting in the car while the parents got their coffee-style drinks was a bit of a pain. Then we start to go where we need to go... only to get stuck behind a train. And then in traffic on the 15. Then in traffic on some street that I can't remember. Then on Maryland Parkway. Then in traffic on Flamingo. Then in traffic on the 95. Needless to say, we didn't get there at 5 on the button, and by the time we did get there, we were all freaking out about being late. They drop me off at the doors and I rush to the back to grab my robe, hat, speech, all of that. By the time I got in, my hair was a wreck from the wind. Fucking sucks. I get my cord and a program, but let Mom have it... I instead was more preoccupied with getting my robe and hat and cord on. I was kind of freaking out by now, being winded from adrenaline at the thought of being valedictorian and late, and also at the prospect of having to give my speech. Whatshername then tried to get all the CNS people together so that she could figure out who was here and who wasn't, because we would have to take a group picture later. She noticed that I had papers, more papers than other people, and asked if I got valedictorian. I said yes, and she told me that I might be getting a "big-ass medal", but she wasn't sure, because she thought that maybe they changed it.
Then we took pictures. Yeah. Uneventful. I hate having pictures of me taken. As you can see above. And why. Jesus Christ, I don't know what Bryan sees in me. I'm hideous.
Anyway.
After pictures, we started to get all lined up for later. I was worried as to where I would have to sit because Cormier had told me previously that I would be sitting in a different place, but yet they had me sitting next to Garret and some other guy. The Career Services Bitch Amy noticed that that was wrong and moved me to the front, but not before I was assaulted by Bryan's family. They really do love me too much. Dawn read the first half of my speech and said she liked it, including a few lines that she really liked. It was good and really needed ego boost, so that was great. Once I was in the front, I was in a swarm of electronics people, so I felt really alone. Then the girl who was supposed to sit next to me was looking for where she was supposed to be, and I helped her out. She then asked Bethke as to why Wadsworth wasn't there, whoever the hell that is. Bethke tells her he has a class tonight, and I come to the discovery that he was a fellow student with her. "Are you serious, you guys let him teach? What's he doing?" Apparently, the Inventor (?) class, Tuesday and Friday nights. I then realize that that was the lab we crashed Tuesday night. I tell her that I saw his class on Tuesday night. She was very amused.
Then we had to walk in, and I came to the horrific realization that I wasn't just sitting away from everyone else. I WAS SITTING ON STAGE. I wanted to die. Then there was much talking, from Mr. Ho and from, of all people, Dina Titus. And then it was go-time for us speakers.
Marco was first, thank god. But as he started to talk, thanking his family and friends and the faculty, I started to panic. As you saw, my speech had nothing to do with that sort of thing. I had modeled it after the speeches from my high school graduation. Something insightful, a piece of advice to give to your fellow graduates, blah blah blah. Not... what Marco did. He was done very quickly, the director thanked him and then called me up.
I did the speech, and I don't have a video yet, but I will soon, because hunter_nina wants one. I spent a lot of time not looking up when I should have and stumbled a few times. But I took a much longer time then Marco and then the girl after me, Kristine. She, by the way, soon became my graduation-buddy because we chatted once in a while during the ceremony. Dad said that every mature adult in the room was thinking to themselves while I talked, but Bryan said that some jackasses where the graduates were sitting were making fun of me taking too long. But he also said they were making fun of the whole thing. But it really hurt to hear that. :(
Her speech was super short, and she wrote it to be so. I later discovered that she hadn't gotten valedictorian, although she had the same gold cord the rest of the Highest Honors people did. Then some chick sang Sarah McLachlan's "I Will Remember You". Then the first things handed out were attendance awards, I was all ready to clap for Bryan. Cormier was babbling something to me about me getting one, but I knew he wasn't talking to me. After all, I had gotten sick once. Also, I took a week off to go to Disneyland. The next thing I know, my name was called for the second time that night (Always "Tabetha Jo Carlson", sheesh.) and my head did a quick snap. What? Me? Attendance? Certainly not. But it was so. I got the little plaque to prove it. I sat back down, dumbfounded. "I don't deserve this," I say to my buddy. "I took a week off to go to Disneyland."
"It was probably on average," she says. "They might give me a 'Thanks for showing up' plaque, because I was never there."
Bryan got his, and later said that I didn't deserve mine, because of my vacation. :P
Then it was valedictorian medal time. Marco was first. Then me. I asked Cormier if it would fit over my hat, and he said it would. He had trouble doing so. What an ass. I sat back down, and Kristine wasn't called. Why did she have to talk? Also, I didn't know I got valedictorian for the WHOLE School of IT. I thought it was just for CNS. But, considering that that only also included the programmers... But still. All of the School of IT. Wow. Also, Joe got valedictorian for whatever school he's in. At only Honors. And he didn't have to talk. WTF I TOTALLY GOT GIPPED OF THIS TALKING THING.
Finally, it was degree time. Cormier was the only one who didn't say "Tabetha Jo Carlson" when he called my name. Thank god somebody didn't. Anyway. Marco was valedictorian, and when he got to sit back down, his little folder thing was empty. "Oh," I say, "they must give them to us later, so they don't get them mixed up." I go up, have to shake hands with the Director, do my loop around the back of the stage to sit back down at my chair, and discover that I DID get my degree. So. Marco was gipped. Anyway.
After all of that, we all had to stand for a good five minutes straight while people took pictures. Jesus Christ. Some of us were in heels. Even my buddy was all, "I'm in heels, let me sit. I'm a flip-flop kind of girl." She noticed the people I was making faces at (my family) and discovered my twin brothers. So there was a little discussiona bout that before we FINALLY got to sit again. And then, we got marched out, where I was then assaulted by my family and Bryan's. Bryan's aunts gave me a card that had a $50 giftcard in it for the Cheesecake Factory. Just about everyone in Bryan's family liked my speech, and Bryan's uncle(?) (You know I can't keep your piles of family straight.) asked if it wrote it myself, which I did, of course. Parents took a picture of use together, and soemone in Bryan's family did the same. Bryan, why did your aunts be all... "Oh, we have got to get together, we've heard such itneresting things about you," to Mom? What did they mean?
Anyway, we did eventually leave and I got more cards from my family. I sappy card from my parents, but a Dr. Seuss card from my brothers. That one resonated with me more. Not that they thought of this, but The Foot Book was the first book I read when I was two. I asked Mom if she picked it out because of that, and how it started me down the road, and she said, "No. I just picked it out because I know you like Dr. Seuss. I wish I had put that much thought into it, though."
Dad drives along on Sunset and I think that we're going to Outback, finally yes. But then he turns into Best Buy. WTF? Apparently, my graduation gift was to be a new stereo, a good one that won't die. We didn't get one last night, though, because the one we wanted wasn't in. We finally go get food and then come home.
Mom felt like crap that she didn't get Bryan something, but now they're saying it should hold off until he passes Composition 2, anyway. Today, we went to Fry's (Amber, you weren't working, were you?) and got my new stereo. We then went to the commissary, and I got sushi for lunch tomorrow, and then Mom and Dad went to Walmart. They got you a card, by the way, Bryan.
Anyway, that's it! Tomorrow I'm going to get a card for Bryan, and Bryan says he has a gift from his family for me, but what the hell.
I still have homework to do. I hope you've enjoyed this traversing into Tabby's Graduation Theatre.