As I sat in the front row at the Lake City Secondary School graduation ceremonies Friday, June 13, I couldn’t help but notice the graduates’ shoes.
While almost all of the grads were wearing academic gowns, it was the choice of shoes that spoke to their personalities.
There were sandals, moccasins, cowboy boots, high heels, running shoes, holey soles, men’s dress shoes, even Converse All Star High Tops and it was a reminder that no two graduates are alike. They may have similarities, might be influenced by their peers, but are ultimately unique persons.
I graduated in 1978 from L.V. Rogers Secondary School in Nelson, B.C.
Our grad class hovered around 200 so not as big as that of LCSS. I actually count grad class faces instead of sheep when I'm trying to get back to sleep in the middle of the night.
Unlike LCSS, we did not wear academic gowns, neither did our teachers when we had our graduation ceremony. Perhaps that’s why I don’t remember what shoes I wore. Maybe it didn’t mean as much because we chose our own outfits?
In this week's edition of the Tribune in the grad section you will read the valedictorian speech written and delivered by Arwin Klar during the LCSS grad ceremony.
I thought it was both great and timely.
There has been lots of negative messaging about Williams Lake in recent weeks, and Arwin shared a positive message about growing up in Williams Lake.
In fact, he said this:
Growing up in Willims Lake, we’ve witnessed beauty in simplicity. We’ve seen the way a quiet morning fog rolls over the lake like a painting. We’ve watched the stars dancing in the skies untouched by city lights. We’ve grown up in a place where people wave when they pass each other on the street not because they have to, but that’s just who we are.
After the ceremony, I chatted with Arwin for a couple of moments. When I looked down to see what this tall guy had chosen for his footwear I noticed he was wearing holey soles.
It made me smile and reminded me that it’s important not to take ourselves too seriously and to be encouraging to one another, just as this young man was with his words.
