Going Anyway

Least Qualified Person

We don't have an auditorium at our high school, so the commencement ceremony was 45 minutes away.

It was raining cats an dogs today, and apparently, the band and choir high school kids were all supposed to take a bus up to the auditorium, but the bus barn forgot to show up. The director tried to get a hold of the bus barn people, but nobody was around. (The director literally drove to the bus barn). Because of all this, the students ended up driving themselves. These kids don't get much exposure to highway driving. Thank God everyone made it to and from safely.

But they were late, and there was another graduation in after us, so they had to cut out my speech for timing purposes.

I drove all this way just for nothing. I even had Heather, my aunt, watch Ava this afternoon.

"I'm sorry, Steven," the high school principal, Martin Orko said to me. "You are just the least qualified person, so we're going to have to cut you out." Martin Orko is probably the least qualified person to run the high school. He grew up in Portland, and knows nothing about our lives here. He doesn't even live in our town.

I pressed my lips together and didn't say anything. I just walked away. I stayed through the whole ceremony to watch my first class graduate. I didn't talk to many people after. I went straight home.

I don't even see the point of sharing the speech on this blog either because apparently I was the least qualified person to give a speech today. That's saying a lot because our administration sucks.

When I got home, Heather and Ava were playing a game at the kitchen table. I looked at them and faked a smile. I was soaked from the rain.

"How'd it go?" Heather asked.

"I didn't do it." I'm bad at holding back my anger with people I know.

"Why?"

I explained why.

"So, they don't think your good enough." Ava said it like a statement.

"Yeah," I said shortly.

Heather stood up and put an arm around me. "Hey, don't let it get to you. There's no point. You're leaving in five days."

I looked down. "Yeah, I'm moving to a town where everyone will be even more qualified than me." I slammed my phone on the counter. "Look, I'm going to take a shower." I was really cold(physically and in my tone).

Ava stood up and gave me a hug. "Steven, stop being mad. This isn't going to help anything. Why are you so mad anyway? You always tell me to ignore what people think. Is it really that big of deal?"

I took in a deep breath, not wanting to give her a hug back because I didn't want comfort, but I did because otherwise she would think I rejecting her. I didn't want to talk about this. "You're right. It doesn't matter, but I'm cold. I need to shower."

I grabbed my clothes, and went into the bathroom.

I've given everything I have to this school, so to be asked to give that speech meant a lot. They took it from me. I have worked my butt off, so those kids could graduate. I know my first year of teaching started off horribly, but I got so much better as the year went on. I care about every single one of those students, and I couldn't even thank them for the opportunities they gave me.

I had to pull it together for Ava when I got out of the shower. Heather knew how badly it hurt, and I think that's why she stuck around until after dinner; she knew that I just needed someone to be there, even though I was quiet for the rest of the day.

Tomorrow has to be better.