Oh, The Places You'll Go ~ Dr. Seuss

So recently, I stumbled upon this collection of Dr. Seuss books in some random cupboard (apparently Emirates used to give really good quality gifts to children on planes), and in that collection was a book called 'Oh the Places You'll Go'.

Now for the people who don't know, this poem is generally given to students the day they graduate. Looking at it, I started thinking about how life has changed so much in the past 3-4 months. Who would have imagined ALL OF THIS to happen?

If things went according to plan, we'd probably have spent the last two months stressed about exams, and all of May giving our final IB exams. Insane.

Coincidentally, tomorrow, the 22nd of May, marked the end of May 2020 examinations. The day I originally thought marked our freedom. Crazy how none of that happened.

Looking back, our class has always been extra. When we do stuff, we tend to go all out, and even if we don't go 'all out' we do a pretty good job at getting shit done (MUNs, Evade, bake sales, or planning graduation for the class above us).

But the thing is, no one really does shit for us.

We're used to it, if we want something, we always have to do it ourselves. Even if Corona didn't happen, we wouldn't get graduation dinners arranged by the class below us, and even if we did as their 'CAS project', no one would put in the effort that we did the year before. The teachers that loved us left, and we're stuck with people and teachers who think we have *ego complexes* and are *self-centered* and *divided*.

We weren't expecting a lot when it came to graduation anyway. As a class we would halfheartedly talk about planning a prom (lol) or a proper graduation for ourselves, but we knew that we wouldn't get the time to do it with exams coming up. We knew no one was going to plan dinners for us, or come up with class titles. We had accepted that for Rs.17,000 a piece, all we'd get is a shitty graduation in the tiny school hall with sickly green colored walls for a background. Yes, green. We'd get that low quality fat rice (idk how to explain it) biryani that they have for every function, and water (because no, the price per person doesn't pay for soft drinks), and we'd all take pictures in front of GREEN walls (because no body bothered to even create a photo booth), that we would never get back. Yeah, I still haven't gotten all the graduation pictures from MYP (and yes it was exactly like the one I described above).

After a month of no contact, our coordinator asked if we wanted to do an online graduation because a physical one wasn't likely anytime soon, and other than a handful of people no one replied. I understand why. What would we do?

Sit around *without* graduation gowns and look at a screen awkwardly while the few teachers that we don't like who managed to make it to this graduation make bad jokes about us as a class that aren't even truly representative of who we are?

While they say oh this random person gets to be student of the year cause they kissed ass more than the other two students for the past two years? And how do parents even come into this equation? What about speeches? If it was ANY other school, I'd be okay with the idea of a virtual graduation, because it's at least something. But with this school, no, I'm not okay. I hate the idea. Because the faculty that's left (save a few teachers) really don't give a shit about us. If they did, it wouldn't be do you want us to throw you a graduation? It would be you guys deserve to graduate, and I'm sorry about the circumstances, so instead we're doing a virtual graduation on XYZ day.

Anyways, getting back to the point, other than 2 or 3 people no one replied to the prospect of having a virtual graduation. Why? I think not having one keeps the little dignity we have left as a class intact. I'd rather go off like this, with the chapter unfinished, than have a shitty virtual graduation to hastily close off our chapter.

But still, you know, it's sad to think we didn't get the send off into adulthood we deserved. And not just us, but all the people who graduate in 2020, whether it be college or school.

We'll never get the last day of school back, or saying goodbye to the people that we grew up with for the last time.

It's sad to think that one particular day was our last day of school and we never knew. If I had known, I'd hug the friends I have a little tighter, not worry about exams but just walk around the campus. Look at all the classes I studied in, the places where I held my Robotic Club meetings, the cracked walls in the art room because of the science fair posters we put up with duct tape and through the girls bathroom window where I'd watch the sky and wait to spend an extra five minutes of a never-ending boring class. I'd re-vist all of the places I've had nervous breakdowns, cried, laughed, and sighed. I would slowly drink the shitty school coffee while taking about life with my little panda (she knows who she is). I'd mess around with 'Mr. I've got abs' in Physics class, and I'd play cricket with the OGs. We'd take pictures together. And one thing I knew I'd always do was while leaving for the last time, turn back and look back at the stairs and know that this chapter has come to an end.

But I didn't get to do that.

It's sad to think we never got the graduation we deserved. That we didn't get the last day we deserved. That it was this whirlwind of a mess. In a perfect world, I would have liked my parents to see me graduate in Avari, and have all the teachers I loved there. It would have been nice to wear a graduation gown and the tassle-cap thing with a navy blue Sari and the heels I bought literally a year ago thinking I'm going to graduate in these (they're big ass very extra sparkly golden heels, and I had saved them especially for this occasion). It would be nice to get Student of the Year, and make some cheesy speech about how this award doesn't belong to one person, but all of us (yes I've practiced that speech too many times in the shower to admit it). It would also be nice to know where I'm going for college, and hey if we're out here daydreaming, let's make that college Brown, or Yale, or hey even MIT why not. It would be nice to have someone give me 'Oh the Places You'll go' as a graduation gift. It would be nice to say our final goodbyes to one another.

But, as I write this, my golden sparkly heels continue to gather dust in the closet.

So, having depressed you enough (I'm sorry), I want to dedicate that poem to the class of 2020 below. I know this year wasn't how we planned. We had so much potential, but we're survivors. Things may seem shitty now - but that's what life is, a series of ups and downs until we eventually die. The past entire year has been one big fat down, so I guess that means a really great up is due for all of us pretty soon. I know in my heart that this class will do amazing things. Maybe we didn't get the adventures we wanted this year, but we will. Good things will come to us, because KARMA. We deserve it.

We will go places. We will persevere. We will survive, and we will dominate.

So to the Class of 2020, I dedicate the graduation gift we all deserve:

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Oh, The Places You'll Go

Dr. Seuss

Congratulations!

Today is your day.

You're off to Great Places!

You're off and away!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go.

You'll look up and down streets. Look'em over with care.

About some you will say, "I don't choose to go there."

With your head full of brains and your shoes full of feet,

you're too smart to go down any not-so-good street.

And you may not find any

you'll want to go down.

In that case, of course,

you'll head straight out of town.

It's opener there

in the wide open air.

Out there things can happen

and frequently do

to people as brainy

and footsy as you.

And when things start to happen,

don't worry. Don't stew.

Just go right along.

You'll start happening too.

OH!

THE PLACES YOU'LL GO!

You'll be on your way up!

You'll be seeing great sights!

You'll join the high fliers

who soar to high heights.

You won't lag behind, you'll have the speed.

You'll pass the whole gang and you'll soon take the lead.

Wherever you fly, you'll be the best of the best.

Wherever you go, you will top all the rest.

Except when you don't.

Because, sometimes, you won't.

I'm sorry to say so

but, sadly, it's true

that Bang-ups

and Hang-ups

can happen to you.

You can get all hung up

in a prickle-ly perch.

And your gang will fly on.

You'll be left in a Lurch.

You'll come down from the Lurch

with an unpleasant bump.

And the chances are, then,

that you'll be in a Slump.

And when you're in a Slump,

you're not in for much fun.

Un-slumping yourself

is not easily done.

You will come to a place where the streets are not marked.

Some windows are lighted. But mostly they're darked.

A place you could sprain both your elbow and chin!

Do you dare to stay out? Do you dare to go in?

How much can you lose? How much can you win?

And IF you go in, should you turn left or right . . .

or right-and-three-quarters? Or, maybe, not quite?

Or go around back and sneak in from behind?

Simple it's not, I'm afraid you will find,

for a mind-maker-upper to make up his mind.

You can get so confused

that you'll start in to race

down long wiggled roads at a break-necking pace

and grind on for miles across weirdish wild space,

headed, I fear, towards a most useless place.

The Waiting Place . . .

. . . for people just waiting.

Waiting for a train to go

or a bus to come, or a plane to go

or the mail to come, or the rain to go

or the phone to ring, or the snow to snow

or waiting around for a Yes or No

or waiting for their hair to grow.

Everyone is just waiting.

Waiting for the fish to bite

or waiting for wind to fly a kite

or waiting around for Friday night

or waiting, perhaps, for their Uncle Jake

or a pot to boil, or a Better Break

or a string of pearls, or a pair of pants

or a wig with curls, or Another Chance.

Everyone is just waiting.

NO!

That's not for you!

Somehow you'll escape

all that waiting and staying.

You'll find the bright places

where Boom Bands are playing.

With banner flip-flapping,

once more you'll ride high!

Ready for anything under the sky.

Ready because you're that kind of a guy!

Oh, the places you'll go! There is fun to be done!

There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.

And the magical things you can do with that ball

will make you the winning-est winner of all.

Fame! You'll be famous as famous can be,

with the whole wide world watching you win on TV.

Except when they don't.

Because, sometimes they won't.

I'm afraid that some times

you'll play lonely games too.

Games you can't win

'cause you'll play against you.

All Alone!

Whether you like it or not,

Alone will be something

you'll be quite a lot.

And when you're alone, there's a very good chance

you'll meet things that scare you right out of your pants.

There are some, down the road between hither and yon,

that can scare you so much you won't want to go on.

But on you will go

though the weather be foul.

On you will go

though your enemies prowl.

On you will go

through the Hakken-Kraks howl.

Onward up many

a frightening creek,

though your arms may get sore

and your sneakers may leak.

On and on you will hike.

And I know you'll hike far

and face up to your problems

whatever they are.

You'll get mixed up, of course,

as you may already know.

You'll get mixed up

with many strange birds as you go.

So be sure when you step.

Step with care and great tact

and remember that Life's

a Great Balancing Act.

Just never forget to be dexterous and deft.

And never mix up your right foot with your left.

And you will succeed.

Yes! You will, indeed!

(98 and 3/4 per cent guaranteed.)

KID, YOU'LL MOVE MOUNTAINS!

So . . .

be your name Buxbaum or Bixby or Bray

or Mordecai Ali Van Allen O'Shea,

you're off to Great Places!

Today is your day!

Your mountain is waiting.

So . . . get on your way!

***

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(Side note: Please wait until COVID-19 dies down before physically getting on your way. But other than that there's a million ways to get on your way! Dream big kids.)