Have you ever noticed the white space between the end and beginning of chapters in a book?

Over the last couple of weeks, high school seniors in Escambia County and across the state turned the page on their latest chapter in their lives.

Right now, most, if not all, are thinking about the summer that lies ahead, and what’s to come this fall at their college or university of choice. Some have gone straight to work after a short break.

The space between chapters is important because it allows us time to think about what’s next.

For me, when I graduated from Troy University, it took some three months for me to find a job in my degree-related field.

But during that time, I lived at home looking for jobs around the state and region. In fact, I even thought about being a FedEx/UPS driver.

Who knows where I’d be if I had gone that route?

Graduates, take some time and live in this space between chapters because later in life, you’ll look back and be thankful you did.

College will come and go very quickly, and then you’ll be 10 years into real life as an adult.

New chapters are going to come and go, and you’ll be writing your own story.

As I watched many of the graduates cross the stage to accept their diplomas, I thought about my graduation from high school.

In the Municipal Stadium in Fairhope, a big crowd gathered to watch 247 of us cross the stage on a hot and muggy evening.

When my name was called, I got a little bit nervous, but that went away when I heard family and friends hooting and hollering for me.

That made that chapter in my life worth turning and helped me dive right into the white space that lied between one and another.