I Wore My Sunglasses At Night

I was walking to lunch yesterday, and found myself fighting a sea of youths in graduation caps and gowns. When I got to Radio City Music Hall, I noticed that the marquee was congratulating the 2008 class of FIT. So congratulations class of 2008. Go and knit me a cardigan.

The graduates all looked pretty unremarkable, aside from the fact that there were 10s of people in caps and gowns walking down a busy Manhattan street during the lunch rush. I really expected more originality from you, FIT.

This got me to thinking about my own college graduation, where I wanted to make a statement. And that statement was "yes, I am very hungover."

1999 was the spring of the colored sunglass. You may recall a technicolor season of yellow, blue, purple, and even orange lenses surrounded by geeky black frames. You don't? Well then you must not have known me then.

I had sunglasses in every color of the rainbow. And I rotated them throughout the week. Probably to match my outfit.

My college photo albums are pockmarked with garish sunglasses of every color. There is even a shot of me and my girlfriends at a fraternity formal all wearing the sunglasses. Really? Was I that cool?

If memory serves, I chose yellow for my graduation. Perhaps because yellow is one of the GW colors. Perhaps to match my then poorly-dyed hair. Perhaps as an homage to my pending alcohol-induced jaundice.

But regardless of the reason, those glasses personify my graduation day. All the pomp and circumstance. The joy of riding the cusp of adulthood. Spending time with family and best friends that I still have today.

I had some good times in those hideous shades. So thank you, Urban Outfitters. Thank you for letting me see my end-of-college-days through rose colored glasses. (cue string quartet)