Presidential Commencement

On Tuesday I secured a ticket to attend today's A&M graduation ceremony, at which President George W. Bush spoke. This morning, I debated for 10 minutes or so whether I wanted to stand in line and wait for 2.5 hours for a 30-minute speech that I could watch on TV. I decided that I would go.

I expected to spend a lot of time waiting outside the arena to get in, but I arrived early and there was no such line. Instead, I waited in my seat for 2 hours for the program to begin. I brought a newspaper with me, so it wasn't too bad.

During the speech, Bush touched on some Aggie traditions:

I'll say this for A&M -- you've got some mighty fine traditions. Back in my day, I think I would have enjoyed dunking my ring. I would have loved to have taken Laura to "midnight yell." I especially like the traditions around Reveille. Anytime she barks during a class lecture, everyone in the room is dismissed. I wish she had been there for some of those press conferences.

He also alluded briefly to his waning presidency:

When you leave this campus, you will be well prepared for any endeavor you choose. To those of you who have jobs lined up, I -- congratulations. To those not exactly sure what comes next -- I know how you feel.

He also spoke of coming back to Texas:

This is also my last commencement address as President. And it is fitting that it takes place here in Texas, where I have been so blessed over the years. I was raised here by wonderful parents, surrounded by brothers and sisters whose love still sustains me. And Texas is where I went to a backyard barbeque and met a beautiful teacher named Laura Welch. Texas is where our girls were born and our lifelong friends live. And next month, when our time in Washington is done, Texas is where we're coming home.

After listing some examples of courage and service that he has witnessed over the last 8 years, he ended with some advice:

• Listen to your mother.
• Develop a set of principles to live by.
• Be on the lookout for role models.

On that last point, Bush gave a touching tribute to his dad. In all, the speech was in many ways your typical graduation talk, with a presidential touch. It was a worthwhile experience.

I should also note my fast escape from the area after the speech. Normally, after any big event, traffic is a problem, especially when the police shut down certain routes. Well, I planned ahead. I selected a parking lot diagonally across the street from the arena, thus avoiding having to wait at the main pedestrian-crossing intersection. I parked facing out of my spot, to avoid having to back up. And I parked near the far lot exit, which took me away from campus on a side road. I was quite pleased with myself as I drove away.