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Editorial
Class of 2008, hats off to you
One of the great pleasures of living in a small town is watching children
grow up. We see them soon after they’re born, as they hang out —
literally — in slings on their mom’s or dad’s chest,
then as young children as, on Halloween, they dress up as pirates and
appear at our door. Next thing, they’re selling us cheese balls
to raise money for a good cause. And then they’re tooting a tuba
in the school band and swimming in meets, and then — who knows how
it happens so fast?— they’re serving us hummus at Current
Cuisine. Before you know it, they’re walking across the stage on
a warm night in June to pick up their diploma.
Village children give us so many things. They share freely of their laughter
and joy and sometimes their tears. They provide a tangible reminder of
the passing of time, as we see we’ve lived long enough for a human
to go from tiny to large. And they make us feel we belong, since we’re
the ones applauding as they hit that first homer, or take a bow, or sing
a duet. It is a gift to belong like this, to feel part of the community
that’s watching them grow.
They make us proud. Not that we can take credit for the interesting, complex
young men and women they turn out to be, but — well, can’t
we take just a little? Each year’s graduating class seems the best
class, full of creative, thoughtful human beings, and this one’s
no exception. These young women and men in the Class of 2008 showed courage
and heart in so many ways, from their passionate pleas for artistic freedom
in January, to their ambitious and hard-won trip to San Francisco, to
their compassionate senior projects. Graduates, for your patience, your
humor, your courage, your kindness — our hats are off to you.
The Yellow Springs High School graduation — tonight at 7 p.m. — is
a sweet and moving celebration of our children and our community. It is
a reminder that time passes, that the dreams of young people burn brightly,
and that this village is a wonderful place to call home.
—Diane Chiddister
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