A Strange Feeling
by Dean
I have mentioned all this before, so forgive me for mentioning this again. But the graduation ceremony was just yesterday, and so I'm still reacting to it now.
Growing up I hated school. Hated it. No, seriously: hated it.
I had a perverse tendency: while the teachers were talking, I ignored them and read books under my desk instead. What books? The books I wanted to read. I got punished more than once for that, but I kept doing it anyway. Tom Sawyer was my hero. He still is come to think of it.
It took me five years to finish High School. I tried to drop out a couple of times, as I hated that stultifying, intellectually limiting atmosphere so much. I graduated High School on the five-year plan, with a GPA a bit under a C. I screamed I'd never go back once I got that paper, and never did, until in my mid-30s they said I needed more. They kept shutting doors in my face, so I finally decided to get that paper. I said, "Fine, if this is what they want, this is what I'll do."
But I also decided, "Okay, they've made me come here. So I'm going to kick some ass and chew some bubble gum, and damn... looks like I'm all out of bubble gum."
Yeah, you laugh. It took four years. Four years in which I was also working full time, and had a family, and was working on this blog. That four years probably took 16 off my life.
But this weekend there came the official letter from the chancellor: "It is with pleasure that I confirm the award of your degree." And yesterday they did the walk, and my name came out, accompanied by this: "Summa Cum Laude."
Am I bragging? Yeah. Yeah I am. In your face.
Next choice: Grad school, or upgrade my computer industry certs?
Think I'll go with the certs for now. But I sense that you bastards will want a master's to really take me seriously, so that's probably the long-term objective.
(Yes, I've said much of this before. The walk was yesterday. So deal with it.)
