Graduation

Graduation provided the perfect bit of closure I was looking for. After I defended my thesis and submitted the requested changes, I felt like I was being dishonest or like I slipped one past my committee. Graduation seemed like a good way to make it all official and to give the members of my committee one last chance to rescind their approval. So there I was standing at the front of the line of English MA graduates, waiting to walk down and take my seat, when the most demanding professor on my committee walked by and saw me. I wanted to duck and hide just in case seeing me would remind her that she needed to talk to me about my shoddy work, but before I could, she told me congratulations. “Okay,” I thought. “Maybe she won’t prevent me from graduating.” Following the ceremony, as I walked out of the Marriott Center through the line of professors, she caught my attention and actually told me “Congratulations on a great thesis.” I was dumbfounded and pleased. The other professor on my committee also called out to me and offered to be a reader if I decided to publish any of my thesis. Of course, when she offered, I was so flattered that I said I’d be sure to get in touch with her. Now that I’m at home, I’m not so sure I ever want to look at that thesis again, but maybe after a few more weeks, the thought of Queen Elizabeth won’t make me feel depressed anymore.

And just for the record, I survived the moisturizer black out, but it seems that I’m not the only one panicked by the thought of no lotion for two-plus hours. The woman behind us at the check-in counter lathered up her daughter with lotion, rubbing it on her face and arms before she handed over her luggage. And in the security line one woman looked confused by the thought that she had to get rid of the water bottle sticking out of her carry-on bag. But things did get a little scary there when my husband, who didn’t ask for a beverage when the flight attendant came around, actually asked for a sip of my bottled water. I gave him the evil-eye as I handed over my tiny bottle of airline water. At least I shared even if it was unwillingly. And despite sharing with him, I was able to stay hydrated and avoid an embarrassing coughing spell. So, in the end, everything worked out just fine.