OUT OF THE LOOP

“No sir. We don’t have a buffet here,” replied the middle aged Asian hostess.

I had just arrived at the Premier Banquet Hall in Markham.

It was graduation day for the Brebeuf College School class of 2013 and I had been invited to make a presentation. I was eager to attend as this was the last group of students that I would have taught before my retirement in 2010.

“No, not buffet….Brebeuf. I’m looking for the Brebeuf graduation ceremony,” I responded patiently. I should have guessed from the near empty parking lot that I was in the wrong place but I tried to be remain calm.

Before I could rephrase my question, a pretty young girl in a summer dress approached.     

“Sir, I think the grad is at Le Parc just down the road,” she offered pleasantly.

It was 9:40 am. I had ample time to make the short trip before the 10 am programme began.

Driving up to Le Parc, I could see lots of young men in graduation gowns. I was going to make it. I got out of my car and trotted carefully across the busy parking lot.

However, I stopped in my tracks when I spotted two girls wearing long black robes over short dresses. Yikes! This must be the St. Robert graduation I guessed.

Strike One.

Now I was in a time crunch.

I raced home ( never one to carry a cell phone) and called the school. It was just after ten o’clock but I thought it wouldn’t be a big problem if I was a few minutes late.

“Brebeuf College is involved in graduation ceremonies this morning,” a pleasant voice on an answering machine explained. “We will be in the office this afternoon to serve you.”

Strike Two.

Why couldn't she have added where the graduation was being held? I thought to myself.

In desperation, I called some of my friends on staff but of course their cells were turned off.

Strike Three.

I wasn’t going to make it after all.

I was feeling miserable until I realized that the ceremony was not about me or my feelings. It was about the wonderful achievements of the graduates and the fact that I wouldn’t make it would hardly be noticed.

Now, you may wonder how I came to mess things up so badly that day.

Four weeks earlier, I had been invited by Mike Dacosta, Mr. Alumni, to attend the graduation. I had saved his e-mail on my computer and marked the date of the event, June 28, on the calendar on our fridge.

But here’s where the problem started.

My computer crashed a few days before the event and I made the erroneous assumption that the graduation would be held at the Premier Banquet Hall as it had been for the past three or four years.

What a goof! So sorry Brebeuf for missing the show.

I’ve never realized just how dependent I was on computer technology until it was taken away.

In fact, my inabiltity to communicate with supportive friends over the internet these past two weeks has made me realize the tremendous importance of steadfast friends.

No, I’m not getting a Chromebook, tablet or even a laptop. Not yet at least.

However, I’m definitely going to start backing up my files. Maybe I should put them in a Google Cloud like my son-in-law Chris has suggested.

But then again, in the light of yesterday’s deluge in Toronto, maybe saving things in a cloud really isn’t such a great idea.