Back Pocket Brother
by Tina Blue
February 23, 2003
My son Michael graduated from Kansas University this past December. Unfortunately, his half-brother Pat, who goes to school in Chicago, was unable to make it down for the Sunday graduation ceremony, because he had finals early on Monday morning.
Michael was disappointed. He and Pat are very close, and Michael really wanted Pat to be there when he graduated.
But he came up with a pretty clever way to include his brother in his moment of triumph. As he neared the front of the line of graduates whose names were being called to walk across the stage and receive their diplomas, he used his cell phone to dial Pat in his dorm room in Chicago.
Then he stuck his phone in his back pocket, and as his name was called, the cheers from his friends and family in the audience were augmented by those coming from the cell phone on his hip.
Pat couldn't be there in the flesh, but he was still able to cheer for his brother as Michael walked across the stage to shake hands with the chancellor and receive his diploma.
I wonder what the chancellor thought of the raucous sounds emanating from the new graduate's backside as he shook his hand.
