Dover High Decides on Virtual Graduation Ceremony

I'm heartbroken.

Dover High has made the decision to have a virtual graduation ceremony rather than in person and the kids are heartbroken.  Foster's reports that the Dover School board made a "really difficult decision" after hearing from many of the graduating class that they would prefer a face to face ceremony.

Well, it is what it is.  In an effort to make the kids feel a little better, I will share the pain and anxiety from my own, in person, high school graduation.

The year was 19-something and I was all excited about getting my diploma and getting the heck outta that school that overall, was not a great experience for me.  There were a couple teachers that I remember and will remember for the rest of my life, however, the school had 2,500-ish kids, so it felt overwhelming after coming from a Catholic middle school with 80 kids who all knew each other.

My Senior year homeroom teacher was a man who had some issues to say the least.  He had a drinking problem.  There.  I've said it.  Most mornings, he would just put his head down on his desk and take a nap.  On the morning that everyone was supposed to pass in their H.S. yearbook picture, I was absent.  The next day, the drunk teacher who had his head on the table didn't tell me anything about it.  (Back in those days, you had to rely on people for the transfer of information.)  As a consequence, my picture isn't in my HS yearbook with the Seniors.  I am pictured in the Chorus section.

Anyhoo, the day arrived to get my actual diploma.  I wore my cap and gown and joined everyone in line.  I was SO NERVOUS that my name wouldn't be called because of my drunken homeroom teacher that the whole day was a complete mess for me.  I almost passed out when they got to "Stevenson."  "Sullivan" was next.  Luckily for me, someone must have been looking out for him because my name WAS called.  Thank goodness.  Get me outta this robe and home to my family so we blow this taco stand.

Wow.  I had no idea this memory held this much angst inside of me after all these years.