Conclusion

Today was a highly anticipated day. High school graduation.

Like most plane rides, it was quite uneventful, which is a good thing. As Mr. S put it, "Today is a little bit about you, but it's mostly about your family." That was very true. The speeches were nice, though I believe one didn't fit the context very well. Didn't even get actual diplomas, only ceremonial ones.  As RC said in his speech, today wasn't the event we're going to remember forever. It's what we did the past 13 years.

Afterwards was a brief celebration with the class, followed by finally finding my family.  We took some pictures, came home, had some cake, and I got some presents. 

I won't say it was disappointing, simply because I didn't expect much. Nor important, as I kind of knew I was going to graduate high school already. More than anything, it was a grand ending to this chapter of our lives.

As this chapter ends, I believe that what began with an introduction must end with a conclusion. Specifically, Changed for Good concludes with this post.

Not only is this the proper time to end such a work, but I will admit there are logistical reasons as well. One is that I will have a hard time in the summer keeping up the blog, and even more of a hard time in college. The other is that, quite frankly, the blog is dying.  It is hardly read anymore, and I have to force myself to keep it updated.

This conclusion shall begin a tribute to several people who I intended to write about, but never found the perfect opportunity.

KD: KD is one of those people who has always been around when you need him there. He's funny, but also dedicated.  Talented, but also relaxed. We've known each other a long time, and I'm certainly going to miss him next year.

RS: We met several years ago at PAC, and have maintained a very good friendship since. She always has a smile on her face, or her face is extremely red with embarassment.  In fact, if she's reading this, her face is probably red now. But that's okay. It's a nice feature, and highlights her lovely personality.

AG: He's one of the few friends Ive been able to keep since elementary school. We're both math people, we both like music, and we both play piano at a high level. As I've said before, it would have been harder to avoid being friends. And I'm glad we haven't avoided it.

There are more. And there will always be more.  I just can't possibly name everyone. I've heard it said that people come into our lives for a reason, and there are too many people who have helped me to grow to name everyone. I'm truly sorry.

Second, I wish to include an abbreviated classic: 

Year in Review 2013-2014

• #3: January 26th, 2014: It's hard to place what made this day extremely special. It was St. Sava Day at church. I was the honored domačin, and I got to give the Dobrodošlica (Welcoming Address).  I even screwed up, and had to pull out the paper with the words on it.  I just remember feeling really happy doing it. Maybe it came from singing Uskliklimo several times with the choir earlier.  Probably the Holy Spirit had a lot to do with it. But it felt special. And I can't really explain it here.
• #2: December 13th, 2013: This is a joy that all seniors in high school will understand.  We all go through this process.  We look at schools, visit schools, read about schools, talk about schools, and finally apply to schools. Throughout the process, you end up deciding on what school you really like. If you're like me, you make that decision fairly early.  On this day, I received my acceptance letter from CMU.  The satisfaction associated with getting into my first school choice is incomparable. 
• #1: June 1st, 2014: This was an amazing show experience. I was in some amazing numbers. I was challenged, and not bored. It was energizing, and above all, a lot of fun! I got to make my final statement as a dancer. The evening show was the greatest thing ever. There was applause in the middle of my solo, at parts I never expected. The crowd was amazing. We were taking extra bows at the end. I got a very warm reception from the other dancers in my class, which was one of the best parts of the entire thing. All week long, people were calling it one of the best dance shows we've ever done as a studio, maybe the best. The final week of class I said my goodbyes, but I'm sure I'm going to visit. I'm truly going to miss it.

And that is that. The best days of this past year. 

I will be keeping the blog online. I see no reason to take it down, especially since I probably enjoy reading old posts more than anyone else. The popular posts will be maintained by the system's widget (however inaccurate it may be).

I leave you with these words, my faithful and devoted readers.

Who can say if I've been changed for the better? But because I knew you, I have been changed for Good.

With all due respect,

-NM