Long Overdue Congratulations

So, what I believe was 17 days ago, Candler School of Theology held a commencement ceremony to honor those who completed their degree requirements during the 2006-07 academic year. When I was in Atlanta back in February, I told numerous...perhaps even scores...of people that I would most likely be back in town for graduation. This prediction, I am sorry to say, proved false. Not only did I fail to attend but, due to absorption in my own affaris and good old fashioned procrastination, I also failed to communicate my pride and happiness to those who graduated.

Until now.

To all the wonderful friends who are now hold the title of "Master," be it of "Divinity" or of "Theological Studies":

CONGRATULATIONS!!!

And to Beth, Dana, John, Jay, Rob, Ashlee, Russell, Joe, Andrew, David, Michael, Lane, Charity, Kacy and whoever else I told I would almost certainly see you walk, I apologize for my absence. I don't know how many of you actually read this darn blog, so I'm supplementing this post with transpatial emotional projection. I hope anyone who proves receptive to this transmission senses it as a case of the warm fuzzies and not as some sort of gastro-intestinal discomfort.

It may sound superficial but, to tell the truth, the main reason I didn't show was financial in nature. My job as a sub officially ended on the 24th and, with my move to Denver and the return of monthly rent on the horizon, I needed to earn as much chedda as I could before the opportunity to do so (at least as a teacher) had passed. The fact that it now cost me $45-$50 to fill my gas tank did nothing to ameliorate my money concerns either.

The reason I didn't call anyone to let them know about this in advance is because the above seems like shallow and inadequate grounds to not make the trip. Honestly, confessing it makes me feel more than shade of embarassment. Typing it out certianly revives my own sentiments of feeling like a dunce for passing up a once in a lifetime opportunity to be with good friends on a special day in favor of adding a few hundred dollars to my bank account.

Briefly, I want to reflect on why I personally thought it would be important for me to be there. First and foremost, I made a surprisingly number of good friends during my two years in Atlanta and I wanted to see them be recognized for the hard work they had completed. I especially wanted to be there to soak in their intense feelings of joy and relief to finally be done. When I began my graduate school experience back in August of 2004, those friends were the people who began that experience with me. Yet because the M.T.S. program is two years and the M.Div. three, I turned off the path, so to speak, a year earlier than most of my friends.

Several close friends graduated with me, namely Erin, George, Flack, and Scott. But I left at least twice that number behind. For that reason, I've had this dangling feeling inside me since I left Candler. I've loved being home in Indianapolis, don't get me wrong. Even still, those men and women that befriended me in Atlanta had made that southern city a very real home for me while I was down there, and that is why I wish I could have made more than one extended visit during the past year. I also thought that being at graduation, seeing all those accomplished persons be recognized, would put an end to my subtle sense of dangling.

Which brings me to my second and final reason for whishing I had been at graduation: Those few days surrounding graduation was the last time I would have had to see all those wonderful folks together in the city where we all became friends. Even more to the point, now that graduation has passed, I've realized that I may not see some folks again...or at least not see them for an extended period of time. The good news I received from Erin Miller on Tuesday was that more folks than I expected would stay in the Atlanta area are staying for the time being. That means I can still visit with many of you should I manage to get my big Irish butt down there before I make my move to the distant land of Colorado.

So, to sum up, I regret not being there, my friends. Even though a significant part of me knows I made a wise choice by staying put, another will always regret not being there to celebrate with you. Nevertheless, the most important fact to focus on is that all of you have graduated and your buddy Dave Scott is exceeding proud of each of you. Once again...Congratulations!