A brief respite from Inova Fairfax Hospital stays after a series of Temporary Detention Orders (TDO) initiatiated by "The Magistrate" I happened to meet the son of the Magistrate at that previous stay. He was a scientific genius who knew seemed to know how to create all pill-drugs known to man!
My daughter went to go live with my mother-in-law. I was crushed. Her high school graduation was coming up and I had planned a small gathering to be in Burke where my mother-in-law lived near George Mason University where the ceremony would take place.
I was planning to only invite my in-law family, (as they were all retired, didn’t have to worry about traffic after work, and had showered my kids with gifts throughout their lives). I also didn’t invite my own family as they would NEVER take off work for such a thing and my daughter being the first of 11 children in their 3rd generation, I knew that graduation ceremonies were extremely boring and Herndon High School had about 1,000 kids in the graduating class and I didn’t want to set a precedent for having parties for these things.
I was going to cater my small gathering with @Wegman ’s sushi, a shrimp platter and Raspberry Gelato from @Pitango. An extravagance that I would never do for my own parties, where I tend to choose to cook for 22 or more….
We arrived WAY too early to get our seats and waited at least 30 minutes for the ceremony to start. Coincidentally, there was a sign hanging from the inside of the GMU Patriot Center related to their basketball Championships that read: 2006, The Final Four. And I thought of my family. All of my 3 siblings are employed in some way or another by the Federal government in various departments and my mother died in 2006. I’m the last of the Final Four holding out for a future without the Federal government holding my pursestrings.
The Herndon High School Band was playing. The Herndon High School Band had a very memorable trip representing the United States at the 75th Anniversary of D-Day in Normandy, France in June 2019.
Screenshot: https://www.herndonband.org/normandy
In a wedding, playing before the ceremony would be called a Prelude, and on their playlist was a Christmas song. I recognized it, but couldn’t place the exact Title of the Song, nor remember the words.
Then they played My Country Tis’ of thee, or in my Catholic missalette is just named, “America.” As I was so freakin’ bored and knew the words, so I sang it aloud. Much to my husband and son’s embarrassment (maybe).
Here's me singing America verse 4 from my soundcloud:
If each newly branded adult chose their song to walk on stage to collect their “award” it may have been a much more entertaining graduation ceremony. How about Google-sliding their name behind the lectern as their names are read, too?
Either way, I wasn’t sleeping at home very well, so I chose to nap until my daughter’s name was called, then I cheered like hell.
She avoided me after the ceremony, took photos outside in her gown with her friends and underclassmen who were her fans and I went home—without her. (Insert crying emoji here)
But during the Ceremony, the speaker read a poem. The same poem I quoted and designed a program for for my own high school graduation from George Mason Jr.-Sr. High School, (that no longer exists) it was this one:
“Come to the edge," he said. "We can't, we're afraid!" they responded.
"Come to the edge," he said. "We can't, We will fall!" they responded.
"Come to the edge," he said. And so they came. And he pushed them. And they flew.”
― Guillaume Apollinaire
I remember the program I designed. But it may have well have been a call to suicide from my condition at the end of my Senior year. I have recreated it here.
In high school it was all done with stolen pictures and photoshop. This time it’s a quick illustration, enhancements in @Adobe Photoshop and layout in @Adobe InDesign.
A few months ago, the birds I was hearing here at home were crows. Our house had always been riddled with crows, or ravens. These days, I’m watching eagles fly overhead in Herndon, Virginia. They are flying every which way, but 3 yesterday were headed southwest.
I think truly think the "X" platform for Free Speech should remain "Twitter," not “X.”
I mean, where did the little expression, “ A little birdie told me,” come from anyway?
Twitter handle: @BeIntriguedbyMJ
Read more posts: https://www.beintrigued.com/blog
#HighschoolGraduation #Eagles #GMU #GraphicDesign #catering #Pitango #Wegmans #depression #mentalhealth #teensandsuicide #suicide #HerndonHighSchool
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