Graduation and Beyond

Hugh Nibley once defined our country's elite universities as the places one goes to purchase a business or law degree. As of June 2, I am an official owner of one of the latter, though we will be paying the mammoth price of purchase, at interest, for years to come. In any case, my name will ever after be augmented by two additional initials, trailing my surname like clouds of glory: Justin Collings, JD. It's all very heady stuff--enough to fill one with breathless anticipation for that resplendent day, ages and ages hence, when all the world shall tremble at the name of Justin Collings, JD/PhD. My guess is that such will be the intoxicating rapture of that occasion that I shall not rest until I have secured a host of honorary degrees from foreign institutions, until my name is attended by a veritable litany of abbreviatory characters, until my name shall fill the world with its alphabetical grandeur!

But I get ahead of myself--or rather, behind myself. For my purpose here is not to brood over the spirit of graduations past, nor to conjure the spirit of graduations yet to be. My purpose, simply, is to chronicle our recent comings and goings with copious photographic illustrations to please grandparents impatient for images of their posterity. For we haven't merely been busy prancing about in the black robes of the false priesthood. No, reader. At Lia's insistence we have become fun. That's right. We have surrendered our quandam puritanical enmity toward that portentous three-letter word, and pursued the fateful fury at the risk of Lia's wrath.

Much of our recent fun has been centered on "The Great Connecticut Park Pursuit" (TGCPP) Some state agency or other--here in Blue America we have millions of them--is sponsoring a program called "No Child Left Inside," which invites families to visit a different state park each Saturday. We haven't made to all of the parks--much to Lia's chagrine--but we have been to three of them.

Miller Pond Park wasn't part of TGCPP, but it does feature a lovely pond, displayed to good effect during our leisurely walk around it.

On the occasion of our visit the pond was on the frigid side. Still, it was a magical thrill to stick one's bare foot into a natural body of water for the first time this season.

Here we sit like bumps on a log. As always, being at one with nature was spiritually salubrious. I myself was partially transfigured, hence the luminescent whiteness of my knees.

Katharine felt the best way to test the reality of the water was to stomp on it.

Here's Lia setting a sterling example for all of us in what it means to have fun--to be fun. One must be beautiful, one must flash an irresistible smile, and one must don a large hat.

Julia was quoting Wordsworth as she struck this pose.

In most of her moods, Katharine is very hard not to hug.

Julia and Eli, attending sermons in stones.

Our second park visit--and our first official encounter with TGCPP--was to Indian Wells state park. We searched in vain for a waterfall and met with various forms of internal and external opposition. But we were determined to have fun--to be fun--and, by Jove, we had it! By Jove, we were it!

Here's Eli, employing Lia's formula (see above) for surefire fun.

I asked Julia how to caption this photo. She answered: "Git 'er done."

One highlight of the excursion for Julia and Eli was that they got to paddle a canoe. We tried to get a photo with both of them in it, but they paddled with such reckless velocity that we had no chance. Our attempts captured only a sequence of blinding flashes.

Basking in the glow of wholesome recreational activities.

The theme of cute little girl, standing solitary on the beach was too good not to capture twice.

My dad at graduation, irked to be forever hounded by the papparazzi.

Our third park visit was to Devil's Hopyard State Park. This was a special occasion, because my parents were there . . .

. . . and so were the Boston kids: Ethan, Claire, and Jane. Here Ethan and Jane are tormenting a colony of innocent caterpillars.

I took Julia over to this rock to give her a private lecture, but it turned into a group photo op.