May 26 – “Graduation Two: High Island”

 

 

I went to the second of our high school graduation array last night.  This one was in High Island over on the peninsula.  That meant a ferry ride.  On Memorial Day weekend.  I have to say I was not looking forward to the inevitable lines.  Before I left the house Chris "encouraged" me by saying, "Maybe you'll drive up and drive right onto the ferry which will depart right after you get on and then you'll end up having to twiddle your thumbs waiting for the graduates to show up."  Thanks, Babe.  I decided to pack a sandwich and leave at 4:30 for the 7:00 start time.  And I decided to stay off the seawall.  Yesterday was the big first day for the New Galveston Island Pleasure Pier.  Traffic there promised to be a nightmare, so I stayed on what the locals affectionately call "the one-ways." 

 

I texted Chris when I got on the ferry.  It went like this: "Remember that improbable situation you posited?  I'm already on the ferry.  No cars in line."  Yep.  I drove right onto the boat.  Not a single car in the waiting area.  It was very strange.  Almost eerie.  And I was the third one to arrive at the graduation.  Literally the third one.  I pulled out my sandwich and had some supper.

 

The ceremony itself was pretty basic.  Just sixteen graduates.  They sat on one side of the stage and the dignitaries sat on the other.  They had the usual valedictory and salutatory addresses.  No guest speaker, though.  They went through all the scholarships everyone got.  They even announced which ones were blood donors.  That was different.  Cody got a scholarship from the Bolivar Ministerial Alliance.  Way to go, Cody.  The whole thing didn't even last an hour.  I diodn't expect to get home until around midnight, but I made it just after nine. 

 

The "almost eerie" from earlier became "actually eerie" when I returned home.  There were just two rows of cars on the ferry, one on each side of the cabin.  You could have played a game of soccer there was so much room.  I was glad our grandkids weren't there.  That would have made for some nervous mommies and nani's.  I drove by the Pleasure Pier just to see if the lights looked cool.  The ones on the ferris wheel sure did.  There were cars and people everywhere.  That's going to be a real hot spot until the newness wears off. 

 

The Astros were playing in Los Angeles, so we watched through the seventh inning.  They were ahead 3-0 when we gave up and went on to bed.  I'll have to check their website to see if they won.  Go Astros.

 

1 John 4:9 says, "This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through him."

 

Father, walk with Cody through his next chapter.  Amen.