Friday, May 30, 2008

So, I Got this Piece of Paper Written in Latin...

Yeah...I can finally stop checking off "Some college" on forms that ask for my education level, and start checking off "Bachelor's degree."

And while I'm certainly not as lost and alienated as Benjamin Braddock, I do share some of his confusion (still can't make my Where I'll Be Moving To announcement...) and his discomfort: I came down with a really nasty cold a week ago and still haven't shaken it off. I suffered through my graduation on Sunday with body aches and a sore throat, went hoarse saying goodbye to all my friends, STILL haven't gotten my voice back, and coughed my head off for several nights in a row.

I'm back in Oregon slowly recovering, then: eating Chinese chicken soup, drinking tea, and watching old movies like His Girl Friday (my review)...would you believe that I had never seen it? I only recently realized just how many fantastic movies were directed by Howard Hawks and now I just learned that it is his birthday today!

Because of this illness that is making me tired, fuzzy-headed and cranky, I haven't had a lot of time to think about my graduation or the implications thereof. I fully expect it to hit me as soon as I've recovered...

The graduation ceremony was nice, though, even if we sat in our robes and mortarboards for nearly three hours--in the sun, facing south. Our speaker was Randy Cohen, of "The Ethicist" fame. Fortunately, his speech was concise, funny, and not at all sanctimonious. His advice is stuff that I can fully agree with, without rolling my eyes: seek variety in life, live in a city, take public transit, and learn from the works of the great authors.

My last name comes toward the end of the alphabet so probably most people weren't paying attention when I received my diploma...but I did make someone special take notice. Eyewitnesses (my parents) reported that when it was announced that I won honors in Drama, Meryl Streep (Vassar alumna and trustee) perked up and looked at me. Once a Vassar theater person, always a Vassar theater person.

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