Thursday, May 30, 2002

MY BROTHER, THE HIGHSCHOOL GRADUATE

Today started with a lovely school picnic at Wheeling Park, complete with delicous pot-luck lunch. I am currently of the opinion that
pot-luck = delicous meal.
In fact, when I saw "Father of the Bride" and Steve Martin dreamed of a backyard wedding reception complete with pot-luck dinner. . .. I smiled and sighed. DELICOUS.

Came home and passed out from the heat, in my bathing suit on the couch. This was only after expending my last bit of energy pleading with Don to get off my "Nap space" as I "could not go to sleep with you sitting in my sleepy place of rest."
SNOOOOOOOOOOZE
Woke up with a puddle of drool. ewww. i must have been tired.

Got dressed up again. Helped Don with his getup. When I put the hat on his head, he grimaced at his reflection in the mirror.
"Ugh. Is this what it's *supposed* to look like?" he groaned.
"Yep. Just take it off for now and put it on when you won't be the only one wearing it" I replied, feeling SO wise.
Yeah, it was one of those moments. Those little memories you'll have forever of some milestone.

He worked on a D&D campaign the whole drive down to the fieldhouse. Keeping his mind off all those crowds. Mom told me earlier that he'd woken up screaming last night--probably a nightmare about today. He hates crowds, is uneasy in front of all those people. But once he gets there, he doesn't show it. He rushes off as soon as we get there--off to find his friends. Sweet Sanctuary.

The service was kinda lame, but then again, nothing could be as good as graduating, so who cares? Most of the speaker were uncomfortable and didnt' speak from the heart. But the speech team students, obviously, kicked ass. It was odd to see so many people I knew. Just the day before, I'd walked into DiCarlo's Pizza, that empire of cheap addictive pizza, only to find one of my greatest enemies and greatest friends--Jeanette Melnik. Today I say Neha Maniar, that wacky Indian chica, and Jessica Pegg, a sweet girl I've known since before kindergarten, but haven't seen since my graduation. It was a relief to see other college students after all those highschoolers. I feel old.

Eventually, after we all cook in the field house like so many steamed dumplings, they start handing out the diplomas. Don is a Pollack, so it's a LOOOONG time before they call for Don Michael Pollack. You would never have known he was nervous. My tall, handsome brother, 18, takes the stage and walks calmly for his diploma. My little brother, who used to carry around a stuffed Tyranosaur named "Didey" and was afraid of the toilet. The same little kid who, at age 2, used to get all cleaned up for bed, and then realize I was taking my bath and try to hop in--pajamas and all. When I was not much bigger than 3, I looked up at mom and told her matter-of-factly that I was going to marry Don when I grew up. At that point in my life, that seemed the logical thing. We were best friends. We watched "Aliens" for the first time, together, and had the daylights scared out of us. We got kittens at the same time, we shared our puppy Pepper. The years went by. . .We got older, moodier. And now here we are. He'll go off to WVU in the fall. I'm going to miss him, but he'll still be around.

Before I know it, the class president has walked to the stage, and calls for everyone to move their tassels to the left side of those ridiculous hats--to symbolize their graduation. The shift occurs; a class is changed. And there there is that moment when the hats fly in the air, a moment that kinda burns in your memory. The moment when a highschool kid knows they are free, and nobody can hold them back. When we finally located Don for some last-minute photo op's. . . he was eager to be off with his friends. "I go to lots of parties!" he claims. I am such a stick in the mud in comparison to my siblings. Oh well. The family releases him, and he is gone again. Off having fun. Damn, I envy him. And so we went home.

It is hard to believe we're already here. Jessica Pegg was engaged. Our five-year higschool reunion isn't far off. And little brother Don is going off to college. Knowing what that's like. . .I shudder but have hope too. He'll change, but not that much. I can still bully him, and bother him, and embarass him on a regular basis. And baby, it's because I care.

It doesnt' matter. He can grow taller than I am, he can graduate, he can go to college even. . . he's still my little brother. And I can still kick his butt.

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