Last Day of Bare Fingers

I've been waiting four years past
It's arrived at so long last
An honour we'd hoped to achieve
And when it's done, we can finally leave

Woohoo -- Iron Ring tonight! Hardly seems like it could really be possible becaus I remember being in first year seeing that LED sign in the atrium..."103 days to iron ring" or something like that...and I recall multiplying that number by four and adding 3 x 4 months x 30 days for the three summers and it all seemed so very far away.

I also remember Collins' last class in first year, first semester when he congratulated us on having completed our first semester...on being 1/8 of the way done. And I remember thinking that oho! we have a hell of a long way to go.

And it's finally arrived, we finally get our iron rings, and the time has just flown by. I can't believe that it's almost all done. But don't think for a second that any less than 98% of me is relieved. Because I am relieved. Glad that this schoolwork thing will be all done for very soon.

And I find that I'm getting these phantom itches on my right pinky. My finger is just dying to have an iron (okay fine...stainless steel) ring sitting on it. It's funny, all day my finger has been twitching and itching and just being really annoying.

And I guess what makes this event so important to me is that not only does it symbolize hard work and a commitment to ethics blah blah blah, but it's also the culmination of what I've been working for the last four years. The reward for killing myself for the last four years on every problem set, every quiz, every failed midterm. And it's nice to be part of a cult-ish exclusive club too. Especially when your induction to such a cult includes a free dinner and drinks for the remainder of the evening.

I'm not complaining. For once.

But till 5pm...my finger will still itch.