Fast Forward

Head, spun.

There was in-person graduation at my school yesterday. Since it is an arts enrichment school, it was in no way your typical graduation- the writing students read, the drama students performed, the dance students danced, the music students played/sang, and the visual art students exhibited their works over the course of an afternoon. The calling of the names and handing out of diplomas took up at most 15 minutes. It happened outside, on the street, which had been closed to traffic, and in the warm summer sun under an achingly blue sky, everything took on a anything-goes street fair atmosphere. For me, for many, it was the first time we’d been in a crowd since early last year.

Of course it felt wonderful, and of course, it felt overwhelming. When I got home, I was a happy limp dishrag. All the talking, smiling, meeting parents, remembering again how to navigate the stupid parking garage, followed by the inevitable replay; had I said or done anything stupid? Undoubtedly, yes. It’s been so long since I’ve been out in the world, loose, roaming amongst my fellow humans, and this was a significant day. Trial by happy fire.

Then, I woke up today to a text the school offices are closed for Juneteenth, a national holiday as of yesterday. So auspicious, and so right. We suddenly live in remarkable times. We suddenly live in the aspirational here, and the aspirational now. We learned late to act fast. This summer marks not a return to normalcy, but a leap into a hopeful future. We are two steps forward, no steps back. My head is still spinning, but the momentum is sure, and undeniable. We have so much beautiful, important ground to cover, at the speed of light.