FELLOW TRAVELER

JOYOUS EXPERIENCES.......

I wrote this when I was going to Skillsource for my GED in 1999. I was one of the reporters for our newsletter. I called myself 'Your Roving Reporter'. I had so much fun doing this. My brother got very ill, & eventually died from alcoholism, & I had to quit, & help take care of him. I was crazy with grief, & couldn't continue school. Here it is, my report on my graduation. It was a wonderful experience, & I want to share it with you. It's rather long tho. Remember, it's an article in a newletter.

GRADUATION '99 by Your Roving Reporter

Before I get into the graduation, I'd like to tell you a little bit about myself, that will hopefully help you understand why a graduation is so important, & such a wonderful experience for everyone involved.

1963 would have been the year I graduated, but I had other ideas & I got sidetracked. A few years later I took some classes at Boise College for my GED, I did will & enjoyed them. By then I was pretty much out of control, & my life defininately was.

So now here I am at Skillsource for the second time. The first time I didn't even make it thru their ACE class, I wasn't ready. I was cleaning up me, & the mess I'd made of my life. This time around I made it thru the ACE class, & then some. I actually got my GED! Noone was more surprised than me! The people at Skillsource, my family, & friends were very supportive. I also was lucky to have Hugo for my trainer, who believed in me, & went the extra mile for me. Of course, I had persevered. From the time I started at Skillsource, it was the camaraderie that stood out & continues to the most. From the time we first arrived at graduation, a little nervous, with anticipation, & at the same time on 'cloud 9'. We were running around giving each other hugs, & congratulations, & helping each other getting our caps, & tassles to stay put. Everyone was joking, & laughing, acting like high school kids (imagine that!) Shari had quite a time getting us to settle down & listen to instructions for the rehearsal. I was amazed the actual event went so well. Shari did the introduction & introduced Jim Lynch (our former mayor) who gave an interesting & humorous speech. I was surprised to learn he was a high school drop out. Also, he did some traveling, & joined the Service at a young age. That's where he started his education, & went on to become a lawyer, judge, & the mayor of our city. The AOS students were presented with their certificates first. Then the GED graduates received theirs. WE HAD ARRIVED! Here I am 36 years later standing up there on the stage recieving my GED. We were celebrating! Imagine! A celebration in our honor! I felt like I needed a reality check Next was the presentation "CIRCLE OF LIFE' was the theme. Jonathan Shuffeild sang the title song, as the presentation was being shown. which Betty Radce put together with PowerPoint. Together they were just awesome! Beautiful! There were more pictures to show after the song, & it was so quiet, until the next baby picture. Then you heard laughter, crying,(still) & aaaaaahhhhhs.

As I reflected, I realized this was what I had been chasing all this time. It was this good feeling, to be a part of something bigger than myself, & be among good fellowship, it was this sense of accomplishment. I tell people I'm a late bloomer. As a friend once told me, "Sometimes you have to go thru alot of dirt, before you bloom".

That's the end of the article. As you can read, it was such a wonderful experience, & I want to have more of those in my life. I want to accomplish more, which I haven't done in awhile. Oh yes, I've stayed sober, & that's huge, without, I wouldn't have any of the other. So now, I trudge the road of happy destiny, with hopefully more joyous experiences. I leave that to my Higher Power....I did then, I hope to continue to do so.

posted by sharonsjourney @ 10:10 AM