walking
saturday, june 15, 2002


today i should be walking. i should be wearing a black gown, with a cap and black tassel, and my 2 honor cords, and walking to accept my handshake (degrees always get mailed to the recipients later).

but i'm not.

just to register to walk cost $20. plus i would have to buy my cap and gown, the tassel, and my honor cords. i did buy the tassel and honor cords, i earned those puppies! i also purchased a class ring. damn thing was expensive, but i earned that too. i never bought one for high school or for my a.a., but this one i earned. now add to all that the fact that they only give each graduate 5 tickets and i have at least 8 that should and would come, and walking just didn't seem so great.

it honestly would be better to not be walking if i were in mfa lectures for the next week, but that didn't happen, and may not happen.

but, costs and limits on guests are legitimate reasons to not be walking as well, just not as cool reasons.

it would have been nice to be able to walk. but i have the symbols of my accomplishment around me. the ring is on my finger and gorgeous, complete with engraving: English B.A. on one side of the stone, CSUSB 2002 on the other side of the stone, and my initials djl on the inside. i bought a csusb alumni bear complete with grad cap and lopped my tassel around one ear - it's matte black with a gold 2002. around his neck are my honor cords: the shiny gold ones for university honors and the shiny blue and white ones for department (english) honors. next to domyelle (the name of the bear - yes i name my stuffed animals and this one i gave my planned pseudonym for my writing) is a white bear hubby bout for me. gratzy is white and holding onto a container that had snicker bites in gold foil in it. the container is empty now, but we're planning on some colored beads or something for it. the contained also has a blue bow and a congratulations graduation mylar balloon attached.

with all this around me, who needs to walk?