June 14, 2007
-
'
The Daily News
1 The last day of school.
2 To me, the single most irrelevant day of the entire school year.
3 Hard to believe, especially the morning after graduation.
4 I attended the YB Class of 2007's commencement last night.
5 It was the real deal.
6 In my place, in my place...
7 This was one of the most difficult graduations ever, at least for me personally.
8 I felt I was observing another planet, but of a familiar life I once led.9 I connected with Al Russell, who read all the names, and who remains one of my
best friends ever. I ran into other staff, got invited to lots of parties and celebrations, but in the end, I wasn't equipped to go to anything.10 I just wanted to go home. It was way too difficult. It's hard to explain why, but it just was.
11 I also ran into some Class of '05 people, which was really quite nice. Everyone looked pretty good and it was really nice to see them all again.
12 But it was all very shaky and difficult for me.
13 Overwhelmingly sad. I talked at length with Frank Foehr and both of us got caught a bit in the emotions.
14 We talked about this place that was such a huge part of our own lives, and he also
felt exactly what I was feeling.15 Legends.
16 The old guard is vanishing.
17 I wasn't going to make it too far into the evening.
18 Something just shifted last night.
19 Atlas shrugged.
20 I don't know that I'm explaining this very carefully. But all the students and alumni were hugging and taking it all for granted.
21 To Foehr, Russell-bob, and myself, it was filled with pain, and happiness, and memories, and love.
22 And the entire reality of how life is so short.
23 Most of the young people wouldn't understand what was going through our hearts last night. I do know this: they were breaking and raining. And we had a lot of love for good ol' YB. A LOT of love and memories.
24 I just wasn't going to make it to any parties.
25 I wanted to be alone. I wanted to go somewhere and drink it all in.
26 I wanted to go into the hills and sit.
27 When I was a kid, I lived right across the street from this hill, and whenever I would need to be alone, I'd climb to the top of the hill and look over my small town.
28 I couldn't even do that last night.
29 It was the single most painful night I've had all year.
30 And it was genuine.
31 I guess that's the best I could do in terms of reporting it.
32 I was lost.
33 I was lost.
34 I am better now.
35 Word of honor.
36 I am better now.
37 See you tomorrow.
38 Peace.
~H~
Recent Comments