CAN SNEAK UP ON YOU. WENT UP TO DAUGHTER GLYNNIS' GRADUATION LAST WEEKEND, IN BEAUTIFUL "SOMEWHERE NEAR THE SAN FERNANDO VALLEY", CALIF. ROLLING HILLS, STUDDED WITH OAK TREES, THE OCCASIONAL LARGE MAMMAL, FOG IN THE MORNING, SUN IN THE AFTERNOON, A VERY NICE SETTING FOR A FEW HUNDRED YOUNG ADULTS WEARING BLACK ALBUM COVERS ON THEIR HEADS. DON'T GET ME WRONG, I'M VERY PROUD OF GLYNNIS, HER HARD WORK, AND HER STRENGTH OF DIRECTION VIS A VIS TEACHING, IT'S JUST THAT YOU'D HAVE TO SEARCH HARD TO FIND A LESS CEREMONIOUS GUY THAN THIS ONE. I'M TOLD BY THOSE WHO SHOULD KNOW THAT THESE MOMENTARY REST STOPS ALONG THE TREADMILL OF YOUR LIFE ARE REQUIRED, TIME FOR REFLECTION, CLOSURE (I'M STILL NOT SURE WHAT THAT MEANS) AND CELEBRATION, BEFORE ONCE AGAIN APPLYING YOUR PROBOSCIS TO THE STONE AND SHOWERING THE AREA AROUND YOU WITH SPARKS. I LOOKED UP THE DEFINITIONS OF POMP AND OF CIRCUMSTANCE, AND THEY WERE ACTUALLY OF LITTLE HELP. WHILE POMP IS EITHER A "DIGNIFIED OR MAGNIFICENT DISPLAY" OR A " VANE AND OSTENTATIOUS DISPLAY" WHICH SEEM AT ODDS WITH ONE ANOTHER, CIRCUMSTANCE HAD NONE OF ITS' 6 MEANINGS THAT SEEMED TO PERTAIN. UNLIKE WEDDINGS AND FUNERALS THE GRADUATION EVENT SEEMS TO PROVIDE REAL VALUE TO THE PARTICIPANTS, NOT JUST THE SPECTATORS, BUT AT SOME LEVEL IT WAS OBVIOUS THAT THE HALLOWED INSTITUTION WAS CELEBRATING ITSELF AS WELL. MAYBE THAT'S A GOOD THING, AS OUR CULTURE DOESN'T SEEM MUCH TO VALUE EDUCATION, EVEN THOUGH IT IS OUR ONLY ROAD TO SALVATION ( I BELIEVE THAT FIRMLY), SO EDUCATION MUST CELEBRATE ITSELF. THESE KIDS WERE REALLY HIGH ON THEMSELVES, MORE THAN 20 SOMETHINGS ARE EVEN BY NATURE, BUT MOST OF THEM HAVE WORKED VERY HARD TO WANDER THROUGH THE IVY CHOKED HALLWAYS, BOUNCING OFF ONE SUBJECT AFTER ANOTHER, LIKE MATRICULATING PINBALLS. I KNOW THAT GLYNNIS HAS WORKED DOGGEDLY, PARTICULARLY IN THE LAST COUPLE OF YEARS. AFTER NEARLY 60 YEARS OF WATCHING A FEW HELPLESS PhDS AND QUITE A FEW UNEDUCATED GENIUSES HACK IT OUT ON THE FIELD OF LIFE, I'VE COME TO THE CONCLUSION THAT ASIDE FROM REAL TECHNICAL EXPERTISE AND EXPERIENCE LIKE A BRAIN SURGEON OR PHYSICIST MIGHT GET, THAT THE DEGREE MOSTLY INDICATES TO PEOPLE THAT YOU WERE ABLE AND WILLING TO FINISH WHAT YOU STARTED, AND I BY NO MEANS UNDERVALUE THAT IMPORTANT AND ALL TO RARE ATTRIBUTE IN OUR FELLOW PERSONS. PARTICULARLY IN THE WORLD WE HAVE MADE FOR OURSELVES LATELY THE PRESERVED SHEEP HIDE DOESN'T GUARANTEE YOU MONETARY SUCCESS BUT IT DOES MEAN THAT YOU STUCK WITH IT, AND GOT 'ER DONE. FOR THIS, AND BECAUSE I LOVE YOU, CONGRATS G GIRL. I'M SORRY, BUT NOW IT'S TIME TO GET BACK ON THE BELT.
D
