Time for Celebration, Time of Reflection

Today, Thursday, many of our local students are graduating from high school or promoting from Rosemont Middle School or one of the elementary schools. Even for those who are just advancing to the next grade, today is a big day – for them it’s the unofficial start of summer. For local drivers, the roads will miraculously be less crowded in the mornings making the a.m. commute that much more manageable. Caution does need to be exercised, though, as more kids will be walking from place to place, many with earbuds firmly in their ears, oblivious to the traffic around them.

Particularly for our high school graduates, this is a time of mixed feelings. Many are ending their local academic career and will be moving on (and moving away) to higher education; others will be hitting the pavement looking for work or going into the military. They will be looking back at their time at local schools with a bit of melancholy knowing that part of their life is done. But mixed with this will be the excitement of what the next chapter holds, how they will take the years of knowledge, experience and advice and apply them in their life’s journey.

Finally, as our students prepare to graduate they will no doubt also reflect on the losses they have suffered. Some, like the death this week of a CV graduate, will be devastating. Hopefully these young adults will be able to lean on each other and offer comfort to each other.

Some miscellaneous thoughts as we move forward …

As many of you know, Tuesday was my birthday. I want to thank those who took the time to write a note, email congratulations or send well wishes. It’s really appreciated. Steve and I traveled to Palm Springs for a few days of (needed) R&R. Thank you to Lisa who made her condo there available. We spent a few days doing a lot of nothing except swimming and sleeping, though we did have a fantastic over-the-top dinner at an excellent steakhouse on Friday night.

I also appreciated those who took the time to offer comment on the (well-written) article last week on Ramadan by Julie Butcher. I thought her article was informative and I think it was evident that she was very thoughtful in her presentation. Unfortunately not everyone appreciated the article. One anonymous caller left a phone message that said the article was “an insult to veterans” and he would no longer advertise with CV Weekly or read the CV Weekly and he would be sure to “pass the word along.” He also railed about the instructions the Quran gives regarding animals/pets. So I looked it up. On thought.com, it reads, “In Islam, mistreating an animal is considered a sin.” So there you go.

As my mom used to day, you can’t please everyone.

  robin goldsworthy