A reason for hope...

All right, my liberal friends - any of you who think that Arizona should be boycotted because it's the domain of only the small-minded, non-inclusive and mean-spirited (that's three hyphens - wow)should have been with us last weekend at my niece Kelsey's graduation from Flagstaff High School, high in the green, cool mountains of Coconino County. It was an experience that proved that no matter how idiotic our elected officials might be, the regular folk in Arizona, in particular those who actually live close to the border and the rez, are inclined to love their neighbors, no matter who they are.

The sense of excitement as we entered the venue for the graduation ceremony was palpable - families holding signs saying "We Did It!", "Go Chelsea!" and "Class of 2010" were armed with air horns and ready to scream their loudest at the mention of their graduate's name. Audience dress ranged from casual (jeans and tees) to flowery dresses and heels, to Native American families in velvet jackets and wrap boots, wearing thousands of dollars in huge, chunky turquoise. Speeches were brief and articulate, and introductory remarks were given in English, Spanish, Navajo and Hopi.

Two of the graduates, who have musical ambitions, performed original works that were inspiring in their intensity and surprising in their professionalism. One of the teachers who was asked to speak at the ceremony had a wonderful line that summed up the crowd perfectly: "You know you're from Flagstaff when you hunt, your kids are vegans, and you recycle."

When the Class of 2010 - all 400 of them, one at a time - crossed the stage to receive their diplomas, it was anything but boring. The spectacular combination of fresh young faces, beautiful costumes not quite hidden under robes, and fanciful names kept me entertained: Roxxi Dawn Begay, Omar Buenaventura Gomez, Skylan Sunjong Lew, and Infinity Rose Martin were among the best.

As the last names were called, the mortar boards flew into the air, the confetti was thrown, and it seemed that everyone in the class hugged everyone else - man hugs and high fives were in evidence, too. And none but the coldest could leave that auditorium without a glimmer of hope - maybe this generation will manage to clean up our messes and be kind to each other. I believe.