Graduation Memories

What graduation memories do you hold dear in your heart and why?

All my graduation days i hold dear to my heart.  Because each graduation day marks an important chapter in my life.  Graduation day does not only mean farewell and success but it is also a signal or signage that says: GO ON or MOVE ON!

Elementary day graduation was a big day for me and my sister because it means that in 2 months we will be off to a dream school – a boarding school.  Though we both tried to take exams at a nearby prestigious school yet our heart was fixed on the boarding school, located 21 kilometers from our home.

Highschool graduation was another big day in my scholastic journey.  After 4 years of study and labor (i work to finance my tuition) i look forward to graduation day.  Not to brag i got a lot of suitors at that stage of my life and that last year in highschool, my boyfriend’s parents liked me very much that they want me and their son to be married.  Oh no!  I felt inlove that time but marriage was still very far from my mind.  I told them i was going to college because i want to finish a degree before settling down.   My bf’s  family were there during the Baccalaureate program and Graduation exercise, but my boyfriend was not around.  I can remember my mom commented during the Tribute to Parents, “where is your boyfriend? It looks like your boyfriend are his parents.”  I laughed at her comment but it made home in my mind.  Yeah, i felt that if he would just make his best to arrive even just on graduation day, he could have made it.  But anyway, weeks after that, i broke up with him.

In my school, NCEE results will be given to highschool graduates after the graduation program (Sunday noon).  Only the top examinees will be announced during the program.  So if you are not one of the top 3 or whatever number, then you seem to be restless the whole graduation program because your mind is looking forward to know the score of the exam.  Long time ago, NCEE seems to the mark or the thing that will dictate a student to a good future if not a bleak future.  Luckily i passed!  Me and my sisters passed with a good score.  It was happiness for my family but me personally, i was not happy.  I was sad (i cried) because my 2 bestfriends did not make it.  To make it worst, the passing is 50 and their score ws 49.  I cried with them.    Passing the NCEE meant that i will be able to go to the boarding school in Bukidnon (a dream school for college education).

College.  Very very memorable.  I was loveless  (because me & my broke up July) though i was still head over heels inlove with him.  My mom knew that we broke up but somehow maybe she was thinking that months later after July we would get ok, so i was stressed up on what would my mom think and say if that guy won’t make himself seen when the family gets together after the graduation program.    So i asked a faculty to help me get an appointment with him. lol!  Yeah i did that because i want to talk to him and it was not for me but for my mom. hahahaha.  He agreed and we talked at the Academy grounds.     Do you wanna know my dialogue?  I can still memorize it by heart so pasensya na sa kahaba ng aking post.

Arlene:  Hi.  Good evening.  Thanks for coming.

Guy:  Good evening!  You should thank Ate Inday or else i won’t be here. (lol he still sounds angry. so i was making sure i would be able to say what i wanted to say that night)

Arlene:  (with air of confidence but was shaking inside)  When are we getting back together?

Guy:   Not yet.  Kulang pa ang pagka good girl mo.

Arlene: (smiling)

(i was thinking hmmm not a negative answer.  his answer was hopeful because it means that he is observing me daily and he thinks am not yet enough to be a good girl so we are not yet getting back together)

“My family is coming on the week-end and am sure my mom will look for you.  Will you lunch with us on Sunday?

Guy:  No.  I won’t.  Just tell your mom hi.

Arlene:  Thanks.  That’s all i want to know.  I don’t like to expect and be disappointed.  It’s better you said you won’t be coming and still you will show yourself up than telling me now you are going and yet you won’t because you want to hurt me.  So. Agreed?

Guy:  Agree!

We said goodnite.  My mom arrived Friday afternoon and for sure she looked asked me about him after the Consecration service and i told her he is very busy so he can’t be around.   My mom understood yet on the Sunday lunch, she put some food in a box and asked my roommate to give it to that guy. lol!

Another thing to note that graduation day was — I was loveless yet i was able to have a picture taken with my ex bf in highschool (my first love).  It was the first time we said hi since he left my school in 1987 and that year was 1994.   His brother was also a graduate so he was there.

I also had a picture taken with a friend turned boyfriend 2 years later, whom i never thought would be the father of my first child.

All these happening but at the back of my mind, i was thinking of the guy i talked to the nights before. lol!  Luckily when i was walking from the church back to the dormitory, i passed him by a store (congress week was starting) and right away i told him, come on, stand beside me and smile (at then coach my father to click the camera).    I was all smiles in the picture! lol!

Another thing to note why my college graduation is so memorable – it is the day when my father told me, he stopped working as in stopped because it is now my time to support him because am already done with college.  (this spoiled really my mind that day.  My world shook after hearing those words. because i  had high hopes that after graduation, i will find a job then 3 of us (me, my mom, and him) working then we could easily send my 2 younger siblings to school.  But it was not to happen that way anymore.     That was then the turning point my feelings for him as a father totally changed.

Thinking then years later, in 1997, they were guys destined to be part of my life – THE PAST (highschool), THE PRESENT (that college guy), and the THE FUTURE (the friend who became a bf later in life).

Now enough enough.  Am sure are not sleepy reading the whole post.   (am sleepy writing this post so apology for all the mistakes)