Quote from either Paul Eluard or W. B. Yeats, seems to be cited differently different places.
Sherman Alexie attributes the quote to Yeats in the epigraph of The Absolutely True Diary of a Part Time Indian.
That quote came to mind today when my mother brought me along to one of her friend's son's HS graduation parties. He'll be graduating from my high school this Tuesday and going on to college in the fall. When he greeted us at the door my mom and I both congratulated him. His response, "It's not a big deal really, just graduating high school." Yeah. Right. Just graduating from high school. I immediately thought back to St. Francis High School graduation just a couple weeks ago with 15 seniors on stage. 15 out of a freshmen class of probably 40. At least 7 of whom had been in danger of failing classes not graduating just weeks earlier. For them, making it to graduation was a very very big deal. And as far as I know, maybe one or two had solid plans for attending college courses in the fall.
My high school graduation didn't seem like that big of a deal or that much of an accomplishment to me either. I had received nothing but support and encouragement from family and teachers for all of my life and had never faced any major obstacles. Of course it didn't feel like a big deal to make it to graduation. I mean, everyone graduates from high school, right?
It's another world here from the one I've been living and working in. One of many inside this one.
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2 comments:
This is an incredible post
Each stop on my trip so far just seems like another reminder of how different the worlds we live in are. I think about the idea of our students having to bridge the two cultures and am just overwhelmed. When I'm in one place I can't even remember the reality of the other.
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