They walked in tandem, each of the ninety-three students filing
into the already crowded auditorium. With rich maroon gowns flowing and the traditional caps, they looked almost as grown up as they felt.
Dads swallowed hard behind broad smiles, and moms freely brushed away tears.
This class would not pray during the commencements ----- not by
choice but because of a recent court ruling prohibiting it. The principal and several students were careful to stay within the
guidelines allowed by the ruling. They gave inspirational and
challenging speeches, but no one mentioned divine guidance and no one asked for blessings on the graduates or their families.
The speeches were nice, but they were routine......until the final
speech received a standing ovation.
A solitary student walked proudly to the microphone. He stood still and silent for just a moment, and then, it happened. All 92
students, every single one of them, suddenly SNEEZED!!!!
The student on stage simply looked at the audience and said " GOD BLESS YOU, each and every one of you!" And he walked off stage..
The audience exploded into applause. The graduating class found a unique way to invoke God's blessing on their future with or without the court's approval.
posted on December 7, 2005 03:13:48 PM new
Cute! If nothing else, I would have applauded as well for the imagination. I'm not big on religion but I gotta respect a little good natured adaptation and innovation.
~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~ • ~~~
An intelligent deaf-mute is better than an ignorant person who can speak.
posted on December 7, 2005 08:46:33 PM newA month after the commencement, the online account that is the meat of this article began to circulate. In that embellished version, the speaker's sneeze was cast as being accidental, and the response it provoked spontaneously and unthinkingly issued from each of the graduating students almost as if they had spoken with one voice. This marked a tremendous departure from the truth, as the actual sneeze had been faked and the benediction (which was pronounced by only those few of the graduating seniors who were in on the plan) had been scripted. There was no spontaneity to the act, no unwilled inescapable "at-choo!" that prompted the unpremeditated yet socially-obligated reply of "Bless you!" — that repositioning of the event was authorial embroidery.
So much for the "truth" of forwarded emails.
____________________________________________
Habla siempre que debas y calla siempre que puedas....
[ edited by profe51 on Dec 7, 2005 08:46 PM ]
posted on December 7, 2005 11:52:07 PM new
Oh, I think it's true!
And after the graduation all the students went to parties, drank their guts out, drove under the influence, screwed each other blind, all the while yelling "god bless you!"
posted on December 8, 2005 08:47:40 AM new
To me, the idea of the glass being half empty or half full, depends on whethter you're drinkin', or pourin'.
