[nagdu] All Done

Pickrell, Rebecca M (TASC) REBECCA.PICKRELL at tasc.com
Wed May 19 12:28:36 UTC 2010


Congrads Meghan!

-----Original Message-----
From: nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nagdu-bounces at nfbnet.org] On
Behalf Of Melissa Green
Sent: Tuesday, May 18, 2010 12:50 PM
To: NAGDU Mailing List,the National Association of Guide Dog Users
Subject: Re: [nagdu] All Done

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
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>
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