(no subject)

I got thinking about academic regalia the other day. How many of you could lay hands on your full getup today, go put it on, cap and tassel and hood and all? It seems like as the years go by, a lot of people mislay theirs, shove the outfit(s) in a box somewhere or a musty old closet.

It probably doesn't help, either, that each degree has its own outfit, its own hood, even its own robe -- sure, you might already have a black graduation robe, but this one has different sleeves! So you might have to buy two, or three, or however many degrees you have, more stuff to misplace later on.

Me, I still have my regalia, all together and ready to go if I ever need it again (though I imagine the robe would be extra-huge on me now, like my sweater is). I doubt I'll ever have another set to displace it -- a master's is expensive and I don't absolutely need to have one, so I probably won't ever go to grad school. And I'm proud to have my regalia, 'cause I earned it, along with my degree, even if I never get to wear it again (though some small part of me does think, "hey, you never know, you might be invited to speak at an academic event someday," which would be cool but is highly unlikely, since I don't really have any keynote-worthy accomplishments).