I had taken underachieving in school to new heights. So much so that I was in danger of not graduating. I'd fail a class at high school and drop 2.5 credits under the requirement, then take an evening class at the community college and go 2.5 credits over the requirement. I did this repeatedly for most of my junior and senior years. The last week of school the grades were settled and I failed another class without enough time to make it up at the junior college. I did not graduate. I sat with my friend's family and watched Persephone graduate. When they got to my name in the program they had a brief hushed conference and then moved on.
That weekend at a party I was approached by the only other kid in our class to not graduate. He thought we were going to be friends now. He was misinformed.
Before becoming a Super Senior, though, I had led the Knowledge Bowl team to an undefeated season and county championship, and I had won the district Geography Bowl for the second year in a row. I also specialized in home-made t-shirts, including one that referenced our school board member that shot a man outside a bar. On the front it read, "Look Out! Here Comes Fred Judy!" and on the back I'd drawn his portrait and the quote, "I'm packin' heat!" This shirt was a particular favorite of a few teachers, who told me privately they thought it was great.
Persephone left for college on her birthday, one week after high school graduation. I enrolled in a replacement class at the community college. In July I drove up to visit Persephone for a weekend. On the way back home, I crashed my truck and broke my ankle. I took an "incomplete" on my replacement class, further delaying my high school completion. In the fall I spent several weeks going to college on crutches, which filled out my shoulders, making me look more like a former football player than a former distance runner.
At the end of October, I finally completed my summer class, took my transcript back to my high school, and received my diploma. Since they hadn't known I wasn't going to graduate, they had prepared my diploma back in June, so there's no real evidence I was four months late graduating.
I submitted my mission papers. Persephone came home for Christmas and I got my mission call. I was going to the Wisconsin Milwaukee Mission.
via oneofthebest
0 commentaires:
Enregistrer un commentaire