How to Be a High School Graduate...Again

Open house season is upon us! Went to my first one of the year this weekend. You can’t go wrong with open houses. Free food, cake, and laughing at the graduate’s hilarious baby pictures. And if you look like me, a side of sunburn to go.

It’s an interesting cultural custom when you think about it. The graduate completes 12 years of school, so we throw them a big party (that costs a lot of money), invite a million people (even the ones you don’t like), and ask the guests for more money. I’m not sure who this is more painful for: the guests, the graduate, or the parents. 

At any rate, I enjoy open houses for the most part. I always get excited for the graduate, who will be experiencing many new things in the coming months. Celebrating with the grads throws me into ambition mode—It’s fun to think about the future...you know, in that dream kind of way. 

(When I think about the future in the practical kind of way, I kind of freak out. The intensity of freaking and the amount of sleep I get are usually directly related.)

Do you remember when you graduated from high school? Can you recall the moments of excitement and I-can’t-wait-to-get-started? 

So here’s the big question...have you started? 

I don’t know about you, but my dreams and goals are completely different now than they were when I graduated from high school. There are similar threads, but the overall 5- and 10-year pictures I paint in my head are pretty different. And I'm still painting new elements into those pictures. Which is kind of cool, because I don’t feel like I’m locked into one dream for my life.

You aren’t either. You know that, right?

No matter how long ago high school graduation was for you, it’s never too late to dream new dreams...or start working on old ones. 

When you start your 2013 open house tour, dream some things for yourself, along with the grads. And then...just do it!