Graduation in detail

I wanted my graduation to be a perfect memory to remember, so I focused even on the littlest details of everything. I used to worry about things like getting a dress that would look exactly as another's or falling off the stage due to the wrong pair of shoes. I worried on those things that I forgot looking at the even greater picture.

If you will be graduating soon, here are some of the things I learned from yesterday and might helped you in one of the most memorable yet dreadful day of your life:

1. NEVER WEAR HIGH HEELS unless you've been used to wearing it your whole life. We waited in line for the program to start for more than an hour. When it started, we waited for all the graduates, faculty, and guests to finally arrive before we can finally sit down for ten seconds! Man, that was really hard. I swear my feet almost died.

2. DON'T LET ANYTHING RUIN YOUR DAY. You see, I have been growing my hair for the last few months just so I can have long soft curls for graduation. But I didn't get what I wanted. My mom and I had been arguing about going to the salon or having someone come over our house to fix me up. I knew she just wanted the beautician to come over but she's giving me that, "Ikaw, ikaw ang bahala." That's probably the worst thing someone has to say because I know that it'll eventually backfire into me. And what do I usually do? I would normally reply, "Sige kung ano nalang gusto mo, wala na akong pakialam." When, actually, I knew right then that my hair would grow nuts.

That beautician made two of my cousins hair during their graduation. Guess what, they looked the same. I told my mom, I don't want a hair like that cause it's honestly very ugly. But my mom said, "No, we can just tell her what to do and she'll know how to do it." So I was okay about it. But the moment that that beautician get the curlers out of my hair, it grew shoulder length. That's how curly it is!

My hair is this long when it is in it's natural form. When I curl it myself, it usually is this long:

See, not much has changed, right? But when that beautician laid her hands on my hair, it looked like this:

 

Too  bad I don't know how to rotate it. 

I swear I'm still throwing tantrums now whenever I'm reminded of how awful my hair looked. If I had time, I swear, I could have washed my hair with how my normal hair would look. Right now, I would really kill that B!

I'm sorry. That's a bad thing to say, but it really ruined my day. I wish I'd just go with my guts and fix my hair myself. I wish I'd never let my phlegmatic succumb to my mom's manipulative words. ARGGGGGHHHH! 

But for you, never let that happen. Don't let a thing as small as this ruin the most-awaited day of your uni life. Because I threw tantrums, we left the security pass at home and my dad had to return home to get them. I cried in front of my classmates about this and it ruined my already ugly make-up. It's not a very good memory you know.

But the only thing that salvaged me from this bad thought is the fact that my ex-crush came over and congratulated me. Thank God he didn't say anything about having a bad hair day! :)

3. BE PREPARED FOR EVERYTHING. Not just for the University Marshall's instructions, but in everything. Lucky me, I suddenly had my period during the ceremony. That's something to remember, though. Graduates couldn't get out of the grounds unless the graduation is over. I texted my mom and dad with the two pesos left on my phone's credits. They responded two hours later.

So, may you be a guy or a girl, be prepared for everything. And I mean everything.

4. TREASURE EVERY MOMENT OF IT. You don't graduate everyday so might as well focus all your energies into it. I never did. My head was headbanging from the first few lines of our speaker's message. His not that bad, I just think it'll keep me awake if he'd just tell us how bright is the future waiting for us.

I think graduation is the perfect time for flowery words. We don't need to hear about good citizenship or whatever. We are graduates facing the uncertainties out there. Maybe it would have been better if speakers would talk about how to get through those uncertainties alive.

I was awaken by the clapping of my fellow graduates. The stranger sitting next to me said, "Buti nalang ate gising ka na." I was embarrassed. Maybe his purpose in life was to embarrass me more, because after a few moments he's already instructing me to sit down or whatever, as if he's my Personal Marshall. I hate that guy.

But good thing there's another guy who made me really happy this day. My favorite photographer, Kuya Gani, went to our graduation just like he promised. He looked for us, IRRI kids, one by one and gave us this very beautiful bracelet. 

He said he specifically looked for the bracelet with "luntian" and "pula" beads. Haha. :)

4. HUG AND GREET EVERYONE because this might be the last time that you can actually could. I never cried during my graduation in high school. I never cried during the graduation rites. But I almost cried when everyone started hugging each other as if they were bidding goodbyes. Honestly, it's sinking into me now. When will be the next time I'll see these friends? They'll go back to their hometown and the chance of me meeting them again would be very low now. I wish I'd never lose them.

My graduation didn't go the way I imagined it (I really hate my hair). But it's good all the same. I guess what matters most is that I'm on the new chapter of my life now. I met great people and experienced a good deal of things. I'll miss being a student. I'll miss everything about LB. If I could turn back time, I probably would. But probably not, because I already had this rare chance of keeping these memories with me for the rest of my life.

I LOVE YOU FRIENDS, I'LL MISS YOU ALL! :)