I Graduated

I graduated! I know that it is perfectly natural to expect that I be pleased by this, but you cannot possibly understand how happy this makes me. I know pictures are said to be worth a thousand words, and if they are, moving pictures must be worth a thousand more, but the sentence and phrase, “I graduated” is worth a book. At least it is when I say it.

I got a 2:2. For those who do not know, that’s a second class lower. It’s pretty much a thank you for coming and not completely failing, but I don’t mind. You mustn’t think that I’m some sort of chronic underachiever who’s perfectly satisfied with mediocrity. I know that if some of you got a 2:2 you’d shoot yourselves, hang yourselves, or check yourself into the nearest masters program to mask your disappointment. However I am not you. I am Afam. And I am very very happy with my 2:2. I will do a Masters eventually but for the time being I just want to hold my degree. No, I want to do more than just hold it. I want to frame it, kiss it, cuddle with it and hug it.

Before I started the year, Papa Afam sat me down and asked me what I had done with my time at University.

I said, “Well dad, I went to classes, and I went drinking and clubbing with friends, and I played Squash but never for very long.”

“and that’s all you did?”

“Yes… Isn’t that all you do?”

He looked a little perplexed and I don't blame him. My answer was pathetic. He took the opportunity to assume the manner of a Jedi.

He said, “The opportunities I’ve given you are not opportunities I had. I think I’d have liked to have had the same, but there’s nothing I can do about that and I turned out alright anyway. I like my kids to do things. I may not always approve of them but I like them to do things regardless. When you went sailing in Plymouth while you were at school I was proud. I’ve never been sailing, heck I can’t even swim but it made me happy. You’d done something I never got the chance to. I’d hate to think that I sent you to University and all you came out with was a degree and a damaged liver.”

This resonated with me. There were so many things I could have done. There were so many things I wanted to do, but for some reason or the other I hadn't done. I didn't like this. I hated it. I was, and am to young for such profound regret. Thinking, "I should have done more with my life" is the preserve of the middle aged and the old. If the young were to think the same nothing would be achieved for we would lie in bed all day berating ourselves for fucking up our lives when we should have been out fucking up our lives, or living our lives... you know what I mean. So come September, I went back to the University of Manchester and had the best year of my life so far. 

How did I do this you wonder? 

I blogged

I got naked for charity

I went blonde for charity

I swam

I saw Walk The Moon (and then I lost my shit)

These guys called me stylish (sort of)

And while all of this was going on (even though you must know that this wasn't all that was going on. You'll have to scour the blog for the rest of it) I somehow did well enough to graduate.

I suppose this is the part where I say thanks. Thanks to the Afam Household for coming through (#afamily). Thanks to the many societies that made the year so brilliant. Thanks to the University of Manchester for entertaining my shit. Thanks to the friends that made the entire experience so legendary. And most importantly Ese Baba God oh!! Without you I'd probably be rotting somewhere in the ocean, or in a coffin or at the bottom of a well... you get the picture. Afam out!!

Happy Days,

Afam