On Approaching Graduation

by Juan Macias

Birds Out the Coupe by Jaffrey Kizzee

I have found at many points in life the question is: Where do I find myself? In the boundless function “life;” living at varying rates of change; suspended on a curve where we know neither start nor end point, and in our confusion believe there is none. Each day we find ourselves standing in a flight of stairs. There are evidently stairs below which we assume we have climbed to get here. There are many steps above us, which go upwards towards somewhere, but so many of them that we lose sight of where they actually go. At every instance in this staircase, especially at a young age, gaining experiences while being fully absorbed in living can prove difficult. We are often unable to escape the reality of life to engage a more creative perspective beyond the steps directly behind and in front of us. We climb steps for the sake of not descending and completely undermine the steps completed. This utter confusion affects the perception of our place in an arrangement of events over which we seem to have no control. But what is the alternative? If we knew what we are doing all along or where we are going, then what piquancy would be left in the game of life? At times, we are not sure today if we are being indolent or wasting time. We may even be convinced that what we are doing today is so bad and counterproductive, that it may never be of any benefit to our lives. But in time, as it has happened to me, when we thought ourselves to be lazy and even poor specimens of humanity, we later discover that much was earned in terms of experience and much was initiated in us during this time. This is because no time is ever wasted in this blue sailing ship called earth. And this is what I intend to say: that how special life is when most of my younger days seem fruitless, that now I may reach graduation and more remains ahead. Because I am not reaching graduation on a discreet date, but on the integration of every step I have climbed to get here. And this is the way life should be. I urge every single student not to overlook their past as worthless, no matter how dark it is. Because the steps ahead are so far ahead that they are also hard to see and those steps below us will help as guides. Life is an experience and every step must be integrated in the end. Let this essay on graduation not only apply to those of us with darker pasts, but beyond as well. Experience is a rule applicable to everyone on the function of life.