It Was Graduation Day

It was Graduation Day, and I still remember listening to this incredibly nostalgic song from Sarah Mcllacen as my mother drove me to the school. I recall paying very close attention to my mothers’ breathing, and how she sighed every couple minutes or so. Certainly, she was thinking of giving me the world’s longest lecture on bad choices and the effect it has on everyone close to you. See, I was not graduating with my class. Instead, I was chosen to sing the national anthem for hundreds of proud parents and eager classmates. As if the sting of failure wasn’t torturous enough. Yet, I put on my fakest smile and continued to support those around me who got to walk on Graduation Day.
Unfortunately, this story is all too familiar to the average high school student. If you haven’t experienced it personally, then you know someone who has.  There’s this pink, polka dotted elephant in the room when you disclose information about not graduating to friends and family. The awkward stares, and the questions that come pouring out of people’s mouths, can be overwhelming. Not only do you have to deal with your own personal struggle with facing reality, but now you have to deal with everyone else’s concerns regarding your future.
A High School Diploma is a big deal. It’s your first step towards the real world. It’s perhaps your first true accomplishment as a young adult. Four years and countless classes, who all have a list of demands, can be difficult for certain students. Naturally, a percentage of students with the incapacity of meeting the requirements will fall behind, while others fulfill their goals and obtain this much needed piece of paper.
Luckily, I was level-headed enough to endure the defeat, and push forward. I enrolled into night school and spent my whole summer studying with the hopes of never having to deal with High School again. I remember the day my counselor called me to tell me I had finally made it. I was ecstatic and had become extremely emotional. I recalled thinking “im so proud of myself”, and I was.
There’s a certain beauty to failure. It brings you face to face with your true desires. If you feel ruined by a specific failure, then I believe it’s a chance to go full throttle and do what it takes to make it a success. Because when you finally meet that goal, the honor you feel will make it all worth it. If I had to do it all over again, I really would. I’d endure the pain of seeing my classmates move one step ahead of me, and I’d still sing the song of our nation to express the pride everyone should have felt that day. A lesson learned is a valuable piece of information, almost as valuable as your high school diploma.