ok, so i didn't cry at graduation until the end of the presentation of diplomas- the last guy, in a wheelchair, who ms cassidy noted was the first person in his family to graduate from high school. boy, that really did it. i had to take off my glasses to wipe away the tears because i couldn't see clearly for a moment there. in my family, i cannot even be the first ph.d.- the most that i can say is that i am the only hyphen- this combo-name thing may begin and end with me....... i am not the only democrat- my mother tells me that my grandmother crown- the one who never learned to drive was also a democrat. i am certainly not the one with the most interesting midlife crisi- my cousin marilyn crown grodi, takes the cake- she is the one who has masters degree in home economics and decided to stay home with her children and do homeschooling, and at age 40 or so had her third baby, a 13 pound boy, at home with a midwife and no medication BUT with bleached blond hair (go figure.....) of course, what i see as a midlife crisis and is simply her life. Now if have to sit back and see how andrew lives his life- for better or worse. i went ahead and put together a memories poster for project graduation- with photos from birth, through montessori, bate and high school. he will not be pleased when he sees it, because he forbid me to do it- hence i did it anyway- had he been indifferent i might have forgotten altogether......anyway- back to the first to graduate from high school- wow- that used to be the american dream- to have enough leisure time to finish high school. i cannot recall much of what the 5 (count-em 5) student speakers had to say, but i wil always remember the fellow who was the first to finish high school in his family, this was a proud, proud day.