I gave the commencement address today to those graduating from high school. These were students enrolled in the IDEA Home School Program. I am glad that it’s over. I had been fretting about doing this – this really does feel like a weight off my shoulders.

It was a blustery day, overcast, spitting rain, windy – not the sort of day in which one hangs out, outside, like yesterday. Rather, we quickly went from the car to the side door entrance and were told that was the student entrance. I said that I was the commencement speaker, and that I had two support people with me. The support people were Pam and Pete. This enabled them to end up getting front row seats.

The auditorium was huge – it was like being in a sectioned off indoor arena. I followed the other dignitaries onto the stage and took a seat. The graduates paraded in, via an upstairs wrap around catwalk. They were wearing bright blue robes and hats. The crowd, their supporters, were rowdy from the get-go.

There were a series of photos on the screen behind me. I could not see it. I watched Pam and Pete watching it. The song finale was by IZ – Over the Rainbow/What a wonderful World. Whoever picked that song knew what they were doing. Tears came to my eyes.

I read the program wrong. I thought that I’d be the last to speak. I was the commencement speaker and went first. Yes, I was very nervous. There were at least 1,500 students, parents, and friends present.

I gave my speech. I had thought it out beforehand; how I was going to deal with the books. I had Pete handed them to me and when I was done, I handed them to Pam. This worked really, really well. Having the two up there also set my mind at ease. What I said to myself was that I was not the reason why I was there – the students were there to complete a rite of passage.

I could have gone on and on and on about the subject of ideas. I instead made my speech short, and maybe too much to the point. I stumbled around some when talking about Leonardo Da Vinci’s plan to create a bronze horse statue. I left out some salient details. I don’t think that anyone cared or mattered.

The weight came off my shoulders when I was through. I sat down and watched as each and every graduate got up on the stage, got their diploma, greeted their parents, gave mother or father a rose, then had their picture taken. There were at least 100 graduates, so this scene repeated itself many, many times. I began noticing footwear. It was really varied. Some men and woman wore sneakers and running shoes, and other women wore high heeled shoes. I was impressed, seeing them climb up and downstairs in those things.

Hayden White graduated – he was one of our featured readers last fall. After his photo shoot with his parents, I handed his father the copy of my Leonard Da Vinci book.

Then it was done. No one except Pam and Pete said that I did a good job. This means that I did okay, otherwise I would have heard about it.

One less thing in life to dread. I arose to the challenge.

Next: 141. 5/22/24: Sicker than a Dog