Sniff...Graduation time!

..... Ahh, it's been a while since I fired up the old blog-o-matic and produced one of my little animated anecdotes. Of course the preceding "Ahh" was my attempt at trying to re-create an all-to-common sigh on this little keyboard... It's really hard actually to convert everyday expressions into visible words. Take "Ahh" for example. Some might think I was screaming at some sort of satanic snake (Gotta love those alliterations!) Others would think I was alluding to a sneeze and giving them the ol' "Ahh-chhoo!" But alas, this sorry attempt at a blog intro is taking too much of your time, and so I'll get straight to the point. Then again, this blog isn't about getting straight to the point. It's about gallavanting in La-La-Land, stopping and smelling the flowers in the garden, and basically watching paint dry.
..... What does all this rambling mean!? Am I just trying to get you to read further? Actually, that's quite right. Fine, since you're obviously tired at my attempts at conversation, I'll cut to the chase. (Though it would be odd that you would start talking to a computer screen...) My blog is about what's all the rage this past week: Graduations.
..... The goal (or at least it should be) of every student should be graduating from high school. On May 29, I'm proud to say my brother accomplished this. I cannot imagine, however, how sad it is to be a senior. Sure, a senior is free from mindless essays, lengthy homework assignments, and the politics of lunch table gossip and clique recruitment. Then again, a senior must also face reality. At this point, it's you who's in charge of your life. No more registration papers telling you which grade your ascending or which school you must attend. It's all up to you.
..... At birth, one's life is a simple car being guided by parental GPS units. "Turn left at Elementary School." "Make a U-Turn at drugs and violence." "Turn right at potty training." At graduation, a new commandment is heard: "Approaching destination." After graduation, what's a senior to do? He can join the military, the seminary, a university, community college, vocational school, or remain unemployed. There are so many possibilities, so many choices! (Hopefully the last one remains unpopular) It's not concrete like when you were a third grader. After passing third grade, there's only one option: go to fourth grade and so on and so forth. Your decision is pretty much made up for you, unless you want to fail and repeat third grade...
..... This kind of freedom scares me. What will I do? What will my friends do? After high school, our whole lives are technically in our hands. The years succeeding graduation will test our mettle and we'll see if our dreams will be crushed and if so, can we collect whatever's left and start all over?
..... The topic of graduation also makes me think of the mortality of my high school life. What have I been doing these past 2 years? As I saw Chavez seniors walk down the aisle to recieve club awards and tassles and whatnot, I began asking myself have I been making the most of my time at Stagg? Maira Gomez, the CCHS senior class president was right. "Enjoy your time in high school because in a blink of an eye, you'll be sitting at graduation." Hopefully this makes everyone sit, think, and contemplate their future and their past. Life during high school should be spent smelling the roses, but when the garden ends, when the walk in the park is over, where will we all end up?

- Jeremy Dela Cruz, smelling all the roses he can!!