Graduation

I find myself to be a very photogenic person. Birthday parties, vacations and other special events are all recorded in photographs in my room. One specific picture hanging up on my wall, is forever engraved in my mind. I often catch a glimpse of it in the evenings when I come home. I grab it, lay on my bed and go back to the best night of my life. The image in the 4x7 thick rectangular photograph was a moment captured by my father. Later on he told me that he had never seen me that happy, ever! Before that certain picture was taken, there were multiple events that caused the massive smile on my face to appear on the picture.
I remember walking with my best friend across the arena, our legs synced with the pattern of walking straight, left foot then right foot. While holding each other’s hands, we looked up and were instantly engulfed with the sounds of our cheering parents. The speaker sounded like a faint voice drowned out by the infinite murmurs of the enormous crowd. The lights were almost blinding as my eyes filled with tears. I tilted my head back to keep them from ruining my mascara. My heart was so full of excitement and glee, it felt as though it was going to burst out of my chest or launch out of my throat. Then, I sang with my choir family for the last time. I have been with the same group of people for four years, helping each other grow and develop vocal skills. Even in that bittersweet event, my teacher honored me by giving me a solo on a song that had everyone in tears. And, there was a moment where I had finally located where my family was in the crowd and saw the tears in their eyes. Tears of joy were all I could have seen. Faces that had become so familiar to me were new again, just as I was beginning a new life. Their eyes and smiles comforted me and in a time of uncertainty and nervousness I knew that they would be there to support me not just tonight but for the rest of my life.
My best friend and I finally tossed our tassels and officially became 2013 high school graduates. Caught, frozen in space, in the picture it seemed as though time was at a stand-still. We were walking from our assigned seats and out towards the exit, or as I saw it, walking towards my future. At that moment nothing existed but us, nothing mattered but us, there, together. The background in the picture was a sea of other fresh Viking graduates ready to embark on their futures as well. Mixed faces are expressed in the photograph. Some looked ecstatic to get out high school or as a few called it their personal hell hole, while you could see that others had sadness in their eyes because they knew that they will have to say goodbye to their high school sweethearts or their favorite teachers. We all knew that we had to leave our old normal lives behind and start fresh that night. I was excited and anxious about that and I know it is shown in the photograph. Remembering this time and the events leading up to it, I am always reminded that time waits for no one. Remembering all of the anxieties, fears, and optimistic thoughts that had found homes on the faces of my classmates has motivated me to continue on and to strive for my goals.
After the day was over, I knew that it was definitely a night that will forever be engraved in my mind. The warm June air surrounded me like a blanket as I joined the sea of people both familiar and unknown. I knew, while leaving the Tacoma Dome it would always be, an external, physical symbol of my accomplishment. The smile on my face and the people that surrounded me in that photo were such important elements that made the photo come to life. Each time I glance at the photograph, I go back in time, I am a pioneer of this technology. I can relive each moment, each up and down, each ebb and flow I can feel and experience again. I can still recall every single detail like it was just yesterday. “Step back, take a breath and enjoy that moment” was a saying that led me back to that glorious evening.
A professor had told me, “Step back, take a breath and enjoy the moment”, and that is exactly what I did on June 14, 2013. That was the second Friday of the month, and my last of being a high school student. I had prepared myself mentally for that day gradually since the first day of senior year. But looking back I realize that this was one of those events, those experiences that you have to live through to completely understand. The emotions, the sights, the sensations were almost overwhelming. After twelve years of school, plus that full year of kindergarten that I hardly remember, I was finally free to take a path where there was less guidance and more independence when it came to my educational choices. There was something so powerful about that night that I still haven't come to terms with. It is a slow burn that I may not realize and understand until some time has passed. Surrounded by family and friends I joined the seniors of Curtis High School in the Tacoma Dome that night. We all had one purpose there, graduating. And let me tell you, graduation was the best night of my life.