Scenic View

With the help of a spray bottle of water with a little fan on it, we survived the heat of the graduation. I felt a bit sorry for the graduates as they were seated on the field in the direct sun in their polyester gowns, while we didn't have the sun in our faces and were able to take advantage of any little breeze that came by.  The ingenuity of the crowd born, I suspect, of many an hour spent in bleachers at sporting events was evident as we looked around…folding seats, the ice packs the woman in front of me applied to her neck, a baseball cap with a fan built into the bill and a little solar panel on top, bottles of water and little groups who had.decamped to the meager shade offered by trees outside the fence.

After the ceremony was the time for serious people watching as we made our way out of the bleachers and into the area designated for grads to meet up with with their  families. Pictures were taken with friends, families, teachers and teams. Bet you can't guess why the extra was my favorite. Many,  including the graduates, were nicely dressed, others looked ready for a day at the beach. There were balloons, bouquets and leis made from everything from orchids to candy and money. Every trace of solemnity had disappeared as a celebratory mood took over. There is something very touching about these young people poised between child and adulthood, accomplished, confident, vulnerable, celebrating and anticipating….

For a complete change of scene this morning, we went to the Flying Goat and sat by the tracks with our Aztek Mochas watching a lone man set up a row of porta potties for a music event to be held there tomorrow. As the guy dragged them off the trailer, let them topple to the ground and shoved them into place, I heard a voice behind me say ," I used to have a job repairing those things. No wonder I had so much work…."