Once Upon A Time

You might be surprised. I've sorted through and dissected every feeling and emotion and concern I've had about my graduation through this blog, yet it is now days after the actual event, and I have not mentioned it. You would assume that I would have much on my mind the day of and would need to unload it all here, as is often the case with my posts. You probably expected an extensive metaphor or a sarcastic rundown or some other characteristic recounting, recorded in the early hours of the morning after.

Honestly, I just didn't know how I felt. It was all so surreal, like it didn't really happen. I was so swept up in the odd reality that I just couldn't describe anything, metaphorically or sarcastically.

But tonight, it hit me. I can finally put it into words. And yes, there's a metaphor.

You know that feeling you get after you've read a long novel for some time? You've become well aquainted with the characters. You're invovled in their lives, even parts the other characters don't know about. You know their joys, their cares, their sins, their faults, everything. Also, you're completely familiar with the world they live in. The places they visit and inhabit are places in which you vicariously exist. Finally, you've become completely invested into the plot. The events that unfold seem to directly effect you. Until you read the last page, the book is your world.

But then, the spell is broken. The plot reaches the climax, the conflicts resolve, and you might, if you're lucky, be blessed with a cheerful epilogue, giving you a small glimsp into the future of the characters. And that's it. Sure, you feel a sense of accomplishment, finally finishing the book, especially if it's a long one. But the longer they are, the more time you have to get attached. By the time your eyes find "The End," you aren't quite ready for it. Relieved, maybe. But still kind of sad. You'll miss it. You want to still be there, in the thick of it, experiencing the places and the people you've come to know so well.

But then, you move on. You pick up a new read. You find yourself in a new setting, learning new characters and experiencing new things. It always starts out rough, getting into a fresh book. But hopefully after the first few chapters, you're ready to invest yourself once again.

That's how I feel. I've finished a book. The events are stored in my memory and in my photo albums. The setting is a drive away, but I'll be a visitor if I go back, not an actual inhabitant. And the characters? Well, I know a lot of them are gone, too. Graduation day was probably the last day I'll see many of my classmates. But there are some whom I hope and pray will not go away. They, invariably, will show up in my next volume, which I can't wait to read.