Graduation Laughter!

I feel that graduation is not normally such a funny experience. But, mine was! I feel that the normal graduation atmosphere is so exciting with proud parents and siblings all feeling so proud of their graduate (which is what I felt also) but here is what happened. My family came from SLC to support me, which I really appreciated and could feel the love. We make it to the Specturm and are waiting for everything to start. My dad grabs a program and naturally looks through it to find my name. He then hands it to me and says, "I can't find you, you must not be graduating." I kind of panicked inside a little bit because I have been having this weird feeling lately that perhaps the whole graduation thing might not happen and that it will not be for real. I quickly grab the program and after much searching, I find my name. That made me feel better.

I then head outside were I am supposed to line up. I go to get my "name card" It's the card with my name on it (just as the name implies) that you hand to the person who reads your name as you have your moment in the sun while walking across the stage while everyone cheers for you. My friend Laura was graduating with me and so I grabbed her name card for her also. I was making fun of her that they were going to read her name wrong because the L on her name was cut off so it just kind of looked like aura. It was our row's turn to make the graduation walk. Laura went before me and the announcer lady read her name perfectly "Laura Ricks" she walked across the stage and I waited in line until I had the go ahead. I stepped up and gave the lady my name card. She looked at it and said, "Lee Powell" not only had she read my name wrong, it was almost like she did it in a Chinese accent. I just chuckled and walked across the stage. Last time I checked, I was white...not to be confused with the Chinese look. . . just sayin' As I continue sitting there listening to people's names being read off I hear a girl with the middle name of Leah. Was it pronounced right that time? Yes it was! Although it was a different person reading her name card but still. Laura turns to me and says, "They said her name right." And we both came to the conclusion that it's because she was not white. (I'm not trying to be raciest but she wasn't) She had that tough girl look and the person reading the name I am pretty sure was as Laura put it would have "Bust a cap" if they said her name wrong. So I decided that I need look more tough so that people will start pronouncing my name right :)

Once again, while sitting there listening to people's names being read off Laura tells me to look in the stands at the cop talking to this old Grandpa man. She noticed the cop because her family was sitting in the stands a few rows up from them. We were trying to figure out what was going on. This poor man eventually started looking really pale and flinging his head back. Then more cops came to him with garbage bags and gloves. I thought the guy was going to throw up and I was not particularly interested in what he had eaten for breakfast, so I turned and looked away. As the final names for the graduation were being read, this man was looking more and more pale. Four large EMT men then came down to help him. I felt bad for him and was wondering what was going on but there was not much else I could do. The graduation ceremony ended and I met up with my family where they awarded me with congratulations and the chance for me to be in photos with them. We then were on our way to eat dinner.

I then received a text from Laura saying, "So I heard what happened to that guy. He had explosive diarrhea. Not a joke! They said poo was everywhere and it smelled horrible!" I started to laugh and scream all at the same time. I read the text to my family and the only one who thought it was as funny as I did was my future bother-in-law Ryan. (I knew I liked him for a reason). We laughed and laughed at that. My Mom told me that she normally says a prayer for that person if she sees something going on like that. I guess I should take after my mother and be more mature about these situations...hmm...I'll ponder on that some more. Even when we arrived at the restaurant, and 20 min. into the meal I was drinking water and thought about the explosive diarrhea information text and spat water out because I was laughing so hard. WOW good times! Now, you can all judge me about this post thinking that I am raciest, and have no heart for laughing at that man....but I couldn't help it!