Alumni

So this weekend was my first UGA game of the season. This has not been a big deal in the past...until now. This past game marked my first game as an alumni.
(cue the huge sigh)
yup that's right. Alumni. AKA I'm at the game not as a student of the University...but as a graduate...as an old person. UGH. It was rough. Thankfully I had some other senior citizens to hang out with. We parked our wheel chairs....brought extra depends and our hearing aids and enjoyed a good game...from what we could see. It's just sad. Another nail in the coffin of my age. I have come to grips that I have thrown my cap, walked through the arch, moved home etc. but I had not come onto campus as an alumni yet. There was relief knowing that come Monday I had no class...and no homework to ruin my Sunday. However, as Will pointed out...I had an 8 hour work day. Thanks. I had almost forgotten.
I felt like I needed to be more accomplished as an alumni. I'm not ready for this!Whenever I picture an alumni I think of some very established, very sophisticated business man who has taken his degree and run with it.....creating his business kingdom and living in the laps of luxury....all because of his degree from UGA. However, I am a ripe 22, living at home with the parents, making pennies at an internship. Not very sophisticated; and if this is established....I'm in big trouble.
I feel that all that is missing from my new alumni status is the "University of Georgia Alumni" car sticker. I have tried to avoid buying this "senior citizen" sticker, mainly due to the fact that I believe I will wake up the day after putting that sticker on my car and be 30 years old and saying phrases like "Well when I went to Georgia.....back in 2004 etc."
Yikes. no thanks.
I think I still have another 5 years till I invest in that sticker. I'll stick to my Georgia "G" and pretend like I'm not as old as I really am.
Sad things happen when your a returning alumni. I didn't recognize any people in the student section; usually its teeming with friends from past classes and other acquaintances. I looked out Saturday...no one. I felt my back starting to hurt. Then I saw my brother down town having all the weekend college fun with his friends that I use to have. Oh....my joints. Then I noticed everyone looked so young! Since when did the middle school field trip downtown?? I feared everyone could see my grey hair growing in by the minute. This was no longer my town...this was the town of my college years. This was my "old stomping ground." Shadows and memories of the past four years floated in and out in front of my eyes and I realized I had to let go. Embrace being a graduate. I had to be OK with being an alumni and let the new wave of kids have at their college experience. Baby steps....next game probably won't be so hard. So I'm going to be proud and admit the truth.

My name is Cameron Smith....and I'm from the graduating class of 2008 from The University of Georgia.

I am an alumni and... I'm OK with it.