Let's do a little reflection on the last 5 years. I've cried my weight in tears about 10 times, I've lived weeks in the library (and considered getting my mail delivered there), and had countless meals from vending machines. It has not been easy. But how did I keep motivated, you ask? I think I've been around my hockey-playing brother too much, because I started using visualization. Apparently a lot of them do that before a game. Focus on winning, seeing yourself make the right plays, blablabla sport talk blablabla. Anyways. My visualizing was iron ring ceremony. I saw myself walking up to my dad, him putting it on (usually, in my head, he also had one tear strolling down his cheek for dramatic effect), and so on. I just kept thinking that when I got to that, I'd be almost done. I'd be an engineer. I'd wear it til I died. (Let it be known I wish to be buried with it if I die before I have children. Otherwise, let it become a family heirloom to be protected WITH. THEIR. LIVES.)
Well Saturday, that all came true. Minus my dad crying. Sorta.
Iron ring is a tradition for Canadians who graduate with an engineering degree. There's a big ceremony with rituals and all (top secret!), culminating in receiving a ring. The ring is put on by another engineer, someone who also has a ring (hence my dad... yay forestry engineering!). The ring is worn on the pinky of the engineer's writing hand, to "seal" calculations and signatures. It represents the weight of our responsibility (falling bridges, Chernobyl, etc...) and so on. Also there is a legend, which I like to pretend is true, that the rings are forged out of the remainders of the Quebec bridge (it fell a gazillion years ago TWICE because of calculation errors) to remind us not to get complacent in our work.
Anyways I'm a huge dork clearly, because I think this is all super cool. Also yes, I'm such a girl, I went into engineering for the jewelry. Obvs.
Saturday I stood and performed all the rituals. I took my ring to the front of the room, gave it to my dad, and he put it on my pinky while reciting something that I forgot cause I was too entranced in the moment and also I was searching for tears in his eyes. He definitely choked up, but so did I.
It has been a totally crazy, horrible, wonderful, and life-changing experience. And now I have this super cool ring to remind me every day of how I can accomplish absolutely anything I want.
Congrats Cuz!! Sooo proud of you.
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