[nagdu] All Done

Tue May 18 16:50:17 UTC 2010

Yes, Meggan congratulations to you.

Melissa Green
No person has the right to rain on your dreams.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Marty Rahn" <marty.rahn at juno.com>
To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
<nagdu at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 10:20 PM
Subject: Re: [nagdu] All Done

> Congratulations Meghan!
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Meghan Whalen" <mewhalen at gmail.com>
> To: "NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users"
> <nagdu at nfbnet.org>
> Sent: Monday, May 17, 2010 9:55 AM
> Subject: [nagdu] All Done
>
>
>> Yesterday, May 16 2010, I graduated.  For the first time in 19 years, I
>> am not a student.  I feel very strange, and I feel a little detached from
>> reality right now.
>>
>> The ceremony started at 10:00 AM yesterday morning.  About an hour before
>> hand, I asked one of the martials if she could show me the path we would
>> walk up to and across the stage.  There were footprints on the stage
>> where we were supposed to stop to have our pictures taken, and I was
>> easily able to feel them underfoot.  I showed them to Kirby and patterned
>> her to pause there for a moment.  After leaving the stage, we had to
>> pause once again for a final foto with our deploma folders, then it was
>> back to our seats. I walked the path twice, and the second time, Kirby
>> stopped perfectly for all the little footprints for the fotos.  What an
>> amazingly smart little girl!
>>
>> The ceremony started with plenty of important folks trying to inspire us
>> to be awesome, and of course to be sure to come back and visit...
>>
>> Once the students actually started walking across the stage, I got a
>> little bit nervous.  I was in the front row on the far right, and I
>> thought I would be first.  I was relieved to find out that my section was
>> the last of three to go up and walk.  As 1500 graduates slowly walked
>> past Kirby, she didn't move an inch.  We were seated in very small
>> folding chairs, so they had taken two out of the front row so that Kirby
>> would have room since she couldn't fit under my chair.  The martial for
>> our row kept checking in with me to keep me posted on how close it was to
>> our turn to walk, and he complemented me on my "sweet little dog who
>> never batted an eye as so many graduates walked right past her nose."
>>
>> More than once, classmates and friends leapt out of the procession to
>> dash over and give me a hurried hug and congradulations.  This meant
>> worlds to me, as I wasn't sure I was leaving this campus having formed
>> many enduring relationships.  Even when I was charged and hugged by
>> friends, Kirby didn't move or lift her head.
>>
>> Suddenly, I heard, "Okay graduates, on the count of three, stand up and
>> we'll begin walking up to the stage..."
>>
>> On the count of three, I stood, and Kirby waited for my word for her to
>> stand, too.  We had been up and down singing the National Anthom and the
>> like, and she wanted to be sure this was a time she really should stand,
>> as I had reminded her to rest the other times I had stood up.  With a
>> snap of my fingers, she was on her feet and at my side.  She nudged my
>> right hand once with her sweet little shepherd nose, gave me a lick and
>> fell perfectly into step in the line.  Up the ramp we went, and I handed
>> off my photo order form.  a little further up, and they flicked my tassel
>> over to show I was a graduate.  Further still up the ramp, and as I was
>> about to step onto the stage, I handed off my slip with my name written
>> out so they could read it off, and so smoothly, Kirby and I stepped onto
>> the stage together.  I was slightly concerned that she would want to
>> breeze across the stage and blow past the students ahead of me, but she
>> ambled along at graduation pace, and paused perfectly on the footprints
>> for our photo.  As she paused, I reached out my right hand and shook
>> hands with the dean of students.  I kept Kirby's leash around my left
>> wrist, dropped her harness and took my deploma folder.  Hastily tucking
>> the folder under my right arm, I picked up the harness handle, and with a
>> discrete forward gesture of my right hand, we continued slowly across the
>> stage.  Each time I stopped to shake a hand, Kirby paused perfectly and
>> patiently as I was congradulated, and as soon as we dropped hands, she
>> began her slow progress across the stage once more, always remembering to
>> give me time to shake hands with the next person, and the next...
>>
>> Upon exiting the stage, she picked up her pace on the ramp, and I was
>> worried she would zip right past the other spot we had to pause for
>> fotos, but, she stopped on a dime.  The sensation was no less precise
>> then when she stops suddenly for a traffic check as an unexpected car
>> comes lurching out of a driveway.  I was grinning in pleasure at my
>> graduation and my dog's brilliance as they took my last foto.
>>
>> As soon as the fotos were done, Kirby guided me confidently back to our
>> seat in a sea of 1500, rested her head on the seat until I found it and
>> then stood back to give me room to sit.  Once I was seated, she calmly
>> walked up to me and rested her head on my knee.  I swear she was telling
>> me, "Look Meg, we made it. Look how far we have come together."
>>
>> The day couldn't have gone more smoothly.  The martials and other folks
>> at the ceremony were helpful in all of the right ways, but nothing they
>> did made it look like I needed help crossing the stage, because I didn't.
>> They were just great at communicating with me..."This is where you hand
>> in your foto slip, we're just moving your tassel over like we do for each
>> student, here's where you turn in your name slip, congradulations, here's
>> my hand, you'd better come back, we don't want to lose you..."
>>
>> The only thing Kirby has disliked about college has been exiting lecture
>> halls with the large crowds.  I have usually waited a few minutes for the
>> crowds to thin out before leaving.  Yesterday, as the ceremony concluded,
>> I promised her this was our last giant lecture hall we had to leave.
>> Typically, she would get a little bit anxious and pant a bit, but
>> yesterday, she was so perfect pausing when the crowd was too thick,
>> finding the little spaces to zip us through and picking up the pace as we
>> approached the stairs to exit.  It was like she told herself she could do
>> it if she wasn't going to have to do it again.
>>
>> Together, we reached the top of the stairs and waited for my family.  I
>> was covered in hugs and congradulations, and Kirby patiently sat at my
>> side.  "I know it, my Meghan is great, isn't she?"  She leaned over and
>> licked my hand, and I scratched behind those velvity silken ears.
>>
>> We have done it.  For three of the four years of my college career, she
>> has been at my side.  She has slept through classes, so I hope she
>> forgives me for not having her name called in the graduation ceremony.
>> She is the only girl on the UW-campus who was applauded for her amazing
>> ability to sleep through class, and the only one who made the professors
>> smile when she let out an extensive groan right in the middle of a test.
>>
>> Our next chapter is just beginning, but wherever we go, I am delighted to
>> know that Kirby will be there for my first years learning what it is like
>> to be a real adult!
>>
>> Meghan with Kirby
>> _______________________________________________
>> nagdu mailing list
>> nagdu at nfbnet.org
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
>> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
>> nagdu:
>> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/marty.rahn%40juno.com
>>
>
>
> ____________________________________________________________
> Get Free Email with Video Mail & Video Chat!
> http://www.juno.com/freeemail?refcd=JUTAGOUT1FREM0210
>
> _______________________________________________
> nagdu mailing list
> nagdu at nfbnet.org
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nagdu_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for
> nagdu:
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nagdu_nfbnet.org/graduate56%40juno.com
>

____________________________________________________________
Affordable Health Care Coverage!
Low rates from top providers instantly! Plans for as low as $49/month.
http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL3141/4bf2c51cd3779546543st02duc