Today is graduation day. I want to say happy graduation to the high school seniors.
I also want to look at these two high school graduation photos. The one to the left was posted by the writer Luis Urrea on Twitter and his Facebook fan page. The one on the right was my high school graduation. We attended the same high school in San Diego, graduating a year apart–Luis in 1973 and me in 1972.
I don’t remember much of my high school graduation. I attended a large school with over 600 people in my graduating class, so I remember it being long and boring. I remember going to a party following the graduation either at my boyfriend’s house or in his neighborhood.
What I was struck with when I saw Luis’ photo (yes, he gave me permission to use it) is the joy and affection. There’s action and movement in the photo. The woman to the right definitely adds to the photo. Perhaps she’s looking into the future.
The photo of my boyfriend and I is serious. We’re not smiling. We’re not affectionate. There is no joy. Everyone in the background has their back to us. Although we’re looking into the camera (and at my father who didn’t approve of my boyfriend) we’re reticent and contracted. There’s no sense of our future. sadly, there is no joy. There’s just contraction.