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| Look how wee!!!! |
Her favorite Sarg. doing the honor of pinning on her gear.
D and her grrrrrls.
Dylan and her BF and her buddy.
3:00-ish: I'm approaching the Lackland visitor's gate and patting myself on the back for getting there with time to spare to get to the graduation hall and pick a seat up close to the stage. Dylan had texted me a list of friends who weren't going to have family there and asked if I could get photos of them graduating. Camera at the ready, ID in hand, and the Airman at the gate asks for my visitors pass. ........DYYYYYLLLLLAAAAAAAAANNNN!!!!! "You don't NEED a pass, mommy!" She had said. omG! So I park and run-in heels-into the visitor center only to screech to a halt behind MANY other misinformed family members. Graduation starts PROMPTLY, I'm SURE, at 3:30.
3:25: Pale faced and hands wringing we parents are all just looking incredulously at each other, checking watches and iPhones, and craning necks to watch the folks behind the desk process our info and administer passes SLOWER THEN MOLASSES IN JANUARY.
3:35: I get back to the car, pull out my phone to retrieve the directions I had put in my notes the day before. Google Maps didn't want to work on base. Anyhoo, look at this! They are GONE. The directions, of COURSE, have vanished into the cyber ether.
3:40: Fully disregarding Dylan's warning to drive SLOW on base, I am speeding towards her dorm...I remembered that much. But once there, I realize I just can't figure out the rest of the way in this HORRID FUCKING LABARYNTH OF DUN COLORED HELL.
3:45: Fuck it, I'm not a GUY, I'm pulling over for directions at the gas station. Nice fella maps it all out for me and yay, I'm on my way!
3:50: .......to the WRONG fucking graduation hall!!!!! WTF?!?!??! I am TEARING back towards the gas station imploring myself not to burst into hysterical tears because I am MISSING my daughter graduate. I stop and run into some kind of military hotel and a kind Airmen draws the route on a map for me. I'm actually close!!!
3:55 Still telling myself DO NOT CRY, DO NOT LOSE IT, I run into the building, head down a hallway when I hear voices and come blasting out into the back of a little auditorium. I'm on the "graduate's" side and need to cross to the "family" side. Instead of going all the way to the back for ease of crossing, in my frantic search for Dylan's head, I'm banging like an ox in a china shop across the row of seats.
4:00 I made it!!!! Sweating, cute dress disheveled, now sporting an afro, and letting a couple of mascaraed tears slip out, I make eye contact with Dylan. Half the Airmen have already done the graduation walk across the stage....but Dylan has yet to go. FUCKIN' PHEW. I am able to get photos of her and her list of friends onstage, see her hard work culminate in 4 seconds of pause, pin, shake hand, smile, DONE. Aaaaaaand, I missed all the boring speeches of the first half hour! Go ME!
She graciously did not kill me for being late. I was doin' GOOD after all until the pass and the disappeared directions.....
Photos and friends outside the hall, and then it was back to the dorms for a meeting. I sat in the parking lot waiting for Dylan to have her meeting, change into civilian clothes and to head downtown for a fancy celebratory dinner. After about 45 minutes she came out to the car still in uniform and not looking happy. Confusing story short, due to some ridiculous shit she had to do, there would be no time for going to dinner...or ANYTHING. I was so disappointed. Families come from all over the country and they can't take their kids out to celebrate?!?!? Oh, well, there was always tomorrow. My flight didn't leave until 6pm. Apparently that was a negative as well. Red tape to wade through keeping her on base. And nothing that I could do WITH her. That's when I lost my shit and burst into tears. "So right now is the last time I get to see you before you come home??!!" Who knows when THAT was going to be?!?! They had fucked up her orders, everyone else was leaving in a couple days, and Dylan's leave was still up in the air and not looking like she would be home anytime soon. We were hoping she would be home at least for Christmas.... I stepped forward and gave her a big hug only to have her tense up and say,"3 second rule".
"What?!?"
"3 second rule. I can't engage in a public display of affection for more then 3 seconds.", she explained glancing around the area for superior's eyes.
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!! "I'm your MOM for chrissakes!!!!! We can't celebrate your graduation AND I can't give you a DECENT loving hug?!?!?" More tears.
The military is so harsh for parents....Fuck YOU.
We said our goodbyes. FEH. I drove back to the hotel and descended-glass of wine and Whataburger in hand-into the world of reality TV.....promising myself to make the best of the next and last day in San Antonio.
"What?!?"
"3 second rule. I can't engage in a public display of affection for more then 3 seconds.", she explained glancing around the area for superior's eyes.
WHAT THE FUCK!!!!!!! "I'm your MOM for chrissakes!!!!! We can't celebrate your graduation AND I can't give you a DECENT loving hug?!?!?" More tears.
The military is so harsh for parents....Fuck YOU.
We said our goodbyes. FEH. I drove back to the hotel and descended-glass of wine and Whataburger in hand-into the world of reality TV.....promising myself to make the best of the next and last day in San Antonio.
