Ray's G.E.D.:
It really doesn't come up very often, but one of my proudest moments came about at another time in my life
when I got bored.
I kind of like to get things done as I can. I really have a disliking for things that drag out much further
than they have to. High school was one of those times for me.
Both of my sisters are brainiacs that graduated in three years. Both of my brothers dropped out (they did
obtain GED's to join the military, and my one brother completed college). My sisters went on to the local
Community College, and that seemed like a much wiser choice to me... still, while in high school, I got
bored.
One of my fancy ideas was to go ahead and get a GED and a high school diploma and have two high school
diplomas! This worked out in a way that I did not foresee.
When I took the GED, one of the questions on the forms had asked if I had still been in high school. I
answered "yes." Another question asked if I wanted the GED (if I passed) sent to my school or to my home.
Since I was planning on getting both, I said to send it to my house.
Apparently, there was a mechanism in place that if someone was still in high school, that they sent it to
the school no matter what you said...
While sitting in class, doing nothing wrong, a guidance counselor came into the room, consulted briefly
with the teacher and called me out of the room. I could not imagine what I might have done wrong this
time (I knew my counselor pretty well), the conversation was more polite and professional.
When I was led into the principal's office through a VIP entrance, I did not know if I should soil myself
or not - because I had zero clue why I was there.
Apparently, when they send the GED to the high school, they also never mail the successful student anything
either... they just send it off to the school.
The principal stood up from behind his desk and congratulated me while he shook my hand. Apparently, I had
graduated high school - not one year early, but a full year and a half early!
I would have liked to continue on with the local community college at that time, but life got in the way - as
it does - and I spent some time in the US Air Force before finally getting to the local community college only
4.5 years after I intended on going there!
