By mohammed rafati, Velocity Contributor
I will never forget my last day as a kid. I remember waking up upon the morning of May 18, 2024. It was the day before my birthday; however, May 18 was also an important day because it was the day I was graduating high school.
I remember waking up and opening the blinds up in my room and the rays of light were beaming at my face. I remember looking over to my side at my mirror, staring at myself and being in disbelief that I was really graduating high school today. It did not feel special then and had just felt like a special school event like prom or homecoming. However, it was far from that.
I remember showering, getting out and scrunching my curls to ensure I looked good for graduation. After, I walked into my room where my dark blue cap and gown had sat alongside with my NHS pin and honor robe. I recall hearing my phone ring, looking at the messages, and seeing all my friends were just ready to get graduation over with and get onto summer break already. I did not think much about it then, but this would be my last childhood memory that I would be able to call one for the rest of my life. I got my cap and gown on, and a great three puffs of some Versace Cologne to smell majestic.
I proceeded by walking downstairs where my mom was cleaning. I will always remember her looking at me and tears started to drip down her face and the words, “my baby boy is all grown up now,” came out of her mouth”
I remember just thinking in my head that I still had all summer and another four years of college to go by. Little did I know that I would never forget the same exact steps I would take for the rest of my life.
I then proceeded to get in my car which was a silver-grey ford bronco. I took the hood off on that nice ninety-degree day. I threw on my aviator ray ban sunglasses and went off to my best friend’s house to take group photos. I remember following through those backroad streets that we would always take to get to Nates house.
I remember getting to the house and not thinking any bit much of the day and just felt it was another big school event that I was just so accustomed to. That most teenage kids felt accustomed to and thought only of it at the time. I remember seeing the guys I grew up with my whole life, the whole ten years that I lived in that small Frankfort town. Those guys being Gavin, Jack, Nate, Michael, and Lukas. We had all stood there allowing our parents to act like paparazzi and take the photos they wanted of us.
However, my friends and I had just wanted to get the show over with and just get to graduation and get onto summer break already.
Finally, the photos were over with after what seemed like an eternity, and we were now on our way to graduation. I remember heading onto the street Lagrange, which is the route to take to get to my high school, and just seeing all my friends driving right by me and not thinking anything of the moment in that time.
I remember turning right into the parking lot and parking in the lot next to all my childhood friends. We all got out of our cars and just stared at each other and just started bursting out in laughter and stupidity. We thought we looked so stupid and had decided to just finally make our way to the auditorium.
We entered the auditorium and sat down in our assigned seats the day before for the practice ceremony. I remember looking at all the kids around me, dressed up in their blue robes and just taking in the moment, Then, our principal walked up to the mic and announced, “Class of 2024, let’s get this party started”.
It was at once that the moment really started to hit me. I remember walking through the doors of the auditorium for the last time. Then the lunchroom and fieldhouse doors one last time. And now, finally we were now leaving Lincoln-Way East High School one last time as a class.
I remember the pandemonium of excitement that hit all the cheering and screaming families as they saw their children taking a giant step into the next part of their lives. I remember walking through the parking lot, and through the walkway onto the turf of the football field as the graduation music was playing in the background. I then looked on my left and saw my family scream out my name.
I remember proceeding forward to my seat to sit down and it started to really hit me. This is the last time I will ever see any of these kids in the same room as me for the rest of my life. What I thought my everyday had been normal for the last ten years since I had moved to Frankfort, was now coming to an end. Then, I will always remember the crowd settling down as my principal walked up to the mic and said, “class of 2024, you guys finally ready?”
What all of us did not know was most of us were not full of the moment of what was really happening. I remember hearing all my classmates’ names that I had grown up with for the last ten years being called out one by one.
The times where we joked around and got in trouble for goofing off in class are now finally over. The times where we played football at recess or how we all experienced homecoming and prom at the same time. This was now our last event to truly experience as a class for one very last time.
I recall when we had reached the Rs of the class. I remember I was sitting next on stage and was just realizing that this was it. After I grab my diploma, I am no longer a kid. Then suddenly, I remember hearing, “Mohammed Rafati”.
I remember hearing my family abrupt in a giant roar. I forgot all the steps I took and was just there but not conscious in the moment. I remember walking up to my principal and him shaking my hand and saying, “Good luck Mohammed, you’re going to do great things”.
I proceeded forward to sit down in my seat and realized I was not a high schooler anymore; I was now an adult. I’ll always remember what seemed like a couple months ago was now four years ago and my mom had told me a sentence I will never forget for the rest of my life. The sentence went, “make sure to appreciate the next four years of your life because you’re never going to forget them”.
My mom was talking about high school. I will always remember this day and very moment because I did not know the importance of the moment at the time of graduation, However, when looking back at it, it truly is the big steppingstone to you becoming your own adult. The reason why it was so impactful on me was because it made me question the moment even deeper.
I realized after asking myself why we don’t appreciate those big moments and the answer to the question is that one will never know they’re in an important moment until you are out of the moment. What I mean by this is it took me to connect the dots back as I saw everyone in the summer start disappearing one by one as they took their next step in life to become their very own adult.
And the same very thing happened to me as I am now at Moraine taking gen eds for a year and transferring to U of I or Michigan next fall. I have found that one of the most important skills in life is being able to take advantage of a moment and take it in as a future life lesson.
What I took from that day is that nothing lasts forever, and you have to know how to take advantage of the next moment.
There are things I wish that I would have done in high school, that I am now planning on doing in college such as joining clubs and being more involved in my community. In conclusion, it is important to not stay in the moment, but to enjoy it and take lessons for the next part of your life.
Velocity 
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