Pomp and Circumstance

Today was the Commencement Ceremony for New York University, held in Washington Square Park. I did not attend the festivities but realized that they were upon us yesterday evening when the Empire State Building glowed purple and white in recognition of my alma mater's school colors.

It has been two years since I marched through that giant arch in lower Manhattan with little more than a smile, some sense of bewilderment and that billowing cap and gown. The time since that day (the one I often thought would never come) has brought with it challenges, surprises and many, many questions as to the very necessity of a B.F.A. in Drama. But never have I questioned getting an education. Never have I doubted that it invariably served me as a human being. Never would I ever take it back.

The concept of learning has been on my mind quite a bit lately, specifically the process of a higher education. The ponderings began with the onslaught of graduation announcements that arrived at my door, but developed further when I traveled to Florida to celebrate the graduation of my boyfriend Matthew, who is the first in his family to graduate from College and who exits his final semester at school Cum Laude with all A's in his Biomedical Sciences Major and Biomedical Physics minor.

I was overwhelmed with pride for his efforts and because of these feelings found myself listening especially closely to the two women sitting behind me on my bus ride home from the airport. They were discussing the goings on of our current graduation season and had many tidbits of information to bestow regarding their extended family members' achievements. One of the women was Black, the other was Spanish, both were older, and they were friends, traveling from one place to the next.

These ladies talked on and on about their nieces' and nephews' ceremonies. One of the two went into detail about how she had managed to persuade her daughter to enroll in college here at home. And I couldn't help but chuckle to myself as she described her reasonings. Having myself come from a place that considers the Big City to be generally exciting but often equally terrifying, this woman cited her beliefs stemmed from the impression that "All kinds of crazy stuff goes on down South. No, she'll be safer up here with the family."

I listened to them for some time, tuning in and tuning out. They had much to say to each other, but the main impression I got from these women had nothing to do with their personal relationships and neither did it have anything to do with their opinions regarding the Southern sector of the United States. What I took from these women was a strong sense of their pride.

Oh, how they went on about this cousin and that niece. About so and so's daughter or his and her's grandson. "You can do it." They both agreed. "You can get an education today... He went to school for Dentistry... She did it too. She really did." And I nodded because it was noble what they were saying to each other and I smiled because it genuinely gave me hope.

The subway signs posted on the walls of nearly every train are correct. "You Can Have a Better Tomorrow." "Your Future Can Begin Today." "There Is a Road That Leads to Success and Hope and Promise and Fulfillment." It begins with an education. It begins with the willingness to try.