graduation day

Today is the big day for our high school graduates.

I can’t help thinking back to my own graduation day. It’s only been 11 years and yet life couldn’t be more different.

Back in June 1994 I was a young man “putting my life where my mouth was.” I recognized that my only chance at entering and completing my undergraduate education at Moody Bible Institute was if I worked my tail off.

About 3-4 weeks before graduation I secured a job that would pay me well enough to make that happen… It was just in Chicago when I lived in South Bend, Indiana. If I worked as a campus painter I could live on campus for free and just about make enough money for the fall semester.

Graduation day, to me, was just a parenthesis in getting that done. I had skipped the last few weeks of school to get a head start on my job at Moody, so coming back home for the weekend was both a nice break and a final chance to be a kid. I spent the weekend going to graduation parties and seeing my mom, who had come to visit from Washington state.

Graduation day itself was simple and fast. We walked with 294 students. (I ranked #94) Since all 5 South Bend schools were using the same convention space for their graduations… Our school was allotted only 70 minutes. We showed up, lined up, and as I sat down me and my best friend Tim realized that we were supposed to be singing with the choir and not sitting with our class! As soon as we sat down our choir director glared at us… And we quickly scurried to our spots in the baritone section.

There were a few speeches. The valedictorian’s speech said something about “using the force” or something cosmically stupid, and then the principal read our names. When my name was read I was proud… Looked out to my parents and waved… Gave the principal her penny towards her retirement fund… And went back to my seat.

I think we went out to eat afterwards. But I mostly remember that pretty soon I had all of my bags, my gifts, and my cap on the South Shore train back to Chicago so I could work again on Monday morning. I cried most of the way back to Chicago.

To me, graduating from high school was a profound time of loss. The years of fun had given way to the years of hard work to come. $6.40 an hour… As the train poked it’s way through Michigan City, Gary, East Chicago, Hammond, and finally to the city… The realities of what was to come became clear.

By the time the train got to the city and I walked from Randolph Street all the way to Oak Street where my new life awaited… I was ready for whatever God had in store for me. What a ride it has been!