Oh the Places You'll Go !!!

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams ~Eleanor Roosevelt

 

Friends Since Kindergarten !!!

What a wild, weird, wacky couple of days!  Don't even know where to begin!!  It's all good but honestly, it's all kind of gone by in a whirl!

My mom and dad arrived safe and sound Wednesday afternoon; my brother flew in Thursday morning.  T had a breakfast bright and early Thursday AM and from there they had mandatory rehearsal downtown.  She came home from rehearsal, got ready, took some photos and my brother and I drove her to UAB.  My brother went in to save some seats while I waited out front for a friend who accidentally left her family's tickets at home.  For some reason, right before we left the house, I shoved our two extra tickets into my purse "in case someone need them."  How weird is that??

Shoot for the moon. Even if you miss, you'll land among the stars. -- Les Brown

The graduation ceremony was very nice and they did not waste any time.  We were done in an hour and a half?  Maybe a hour, 45??  Over 600 kids in the graduating class and everything was very well organized.  The kids pulled a funny prank on their Principal...as they went up to get their diploma, they put Mardi Gras beads around his neck.  Mr. Hulin is from New Orleans and they had photos of him from his early, crazy college days hanging off the beads.  Then, the very last student with a Z last name, put a jester hat on his head. 

I thought I was going to be an emotional wreck but was not.  I teared up a few times but never broke down and sobbed.  My dad, on the other hand, was very emotional.  My brother and I couldn't help but think if my dad was just happy to be there.  You know.  After "the Event" and all.  Plus T is the first grandchild on my side of the family so everything she does is going to be momentous. 

Believe there are no limits but the sky ~Cervantes

We all slept in on Friday morning and spent the day at the pool before we headed out to our favorite restaurant, 26, for our 7 PM reservation.  T has been fighting a really bad cold and I think she was pretty out of it by the end of dinner.  She's been attending graduating parties for the last two weeks straight plus working so it's going to catch up with her eventually. 

My bro flew out Saturday afternoon after stocking up on lax equipment from the store.  My parents left very very early Sunday morning and took KJ back home to PA with them.  She'll fly home by herself in two weeks and thinks she is the bomb.com. 

Oh, the Places You'll Go!

Congratulations! Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes

You can steer yourself any direction you choose.

You're on your own.

And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets.

Look 'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet, you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course, you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen and frequently do to people as brainy and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen, don't worry.

Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH! THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, because you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don' t Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so but, sadly, it's true and Hang-ups can happen to you.

You can get all hung up in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then, that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump, you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both you elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose?  How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right... or right-and-three-quarters?

Or, maybe, not quite? Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find, for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused that you'll start in to race down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space, headed, I fear, toward a most useless place.

The Waiting Place... ...for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go or a bus to come, or a plane to go or the mail to come, or the rain to go or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow or waiting around for a Yes or a No or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite or waiting for wind to fly a kite or waiting around for Friday night or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake or a pot to boil, or a Better Break or a sting of pearls, or a pair of pants or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO! That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping, once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go!

There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be, with the whole wide world watching you win on TV. Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes, they won't.

I'm afraid that some times you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win 'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon, that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go though the weather be foul

On you will go though your enemies prowl

On you will go though the Hakken-Kraks howl

Onward up many a frightening creek, though your arms may get sore and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike and I know you'll hike far and face up to your problems whatever they are. You'll get mixed up, of course, as you already know.

You'll get mixed up with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact and remember that Life's a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And will you succeed?

Yes! You will, indeed! (98 and 3 / 4 percent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So... be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea, you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So...get on your way!

---Dr. Seuss