Graduation

   Graduation season is upon us. The past few weeks young people have been lining up wearing caps and gowns all around various institutions of learning. Pomp and Circumstance has been played by school bands all over the country. Student speakers have been feverishly working on their speeches. Family members are making plans to travel.
   Parties are being planned. All over houses are being cleaned and sometimes undergoing a bit of painting or light remodeling. Park shelters are being reserved for parties and gatherings of various sorts. Families are picking up meat and cheese trays that were ordered weeks before. Bakeries are baking yards of sheet cakes with various congratulatory messages on them.
   Napkins and plastic eating utensils are being bought along with color-coordinated decorations. Tables are being set up, tablecloths are being spread over them.
   Eventually, everything will be in place and the celebrating will begin.
   Graduation season is a lot different now then when I was younger. For one thing, there seem to be more of them. When I was younger there used to be two groups that graduated, high school students and college students. Now there is kindergarten graduation, preschool graduation, elementary school graduation and middle school/ junior high graduation.
   Back in my day, these transitions went by without ceremony.  You simply started the next school year at your new school. When I started middle school I remember going to school a week early so I could find my classes and my locker. I remember being nervous about the fact that I had to go from room to room. I was concerned that I wouldn't get to my class in time. High school was the same thing except that I also had to find my locker and learn the combination to it. My big worry in high school was being unable to open my locker. (Combination locks have always been a challenge for me.)
   I'm not sure how I feel about all these graduations. On one hand, it's good to celebrate these milestones in a child's life.  On the other hand, having all graduations might become routine. The whole cap and gown ritual can lose a little of it's meaning when it's been done several times already.
   Invitations are different too. When I graduated a long time ago we sent announcements. The announcements had the date and time of commencement, the class colors, motto, and flower. All students had the same announcements. Along with the announcements you sent a name card. Some students would send a copy of their senior picture with their announcement. A slip of paper was included in the announcement with information about the graduation party.
   Students invited fellow students to their grad party by writing the date and time of the party on the back of the name card and handing them out. Some students just wanted to collect a name card from everyone in their class.
  Now families send out invitations to the party. There is no formal announcement. The part invitations always include pictures of the graduate. Some will include childhood pictures. Everyone has their own design.
  This is a trend I do like. I was never fond of the formal announcements. The invitations I see now are more creative, more personal and reflect what the event is really about, celebrating a milestone in a person's life.
   My own graduation was 31 years ago. I remember that I was grateful to be done with high school and ready to go on to college. I remember there was a fruit salad, Italian food cooked by my grandmother, a large sheet cake, and no alcohol. (My brother had a keg of beer at his party and several of his classmates got drunk.)
   There is one present I got at that party that I have and still use today. It's a big pink and white striped towel. I've kept it all these years and I take it whenever I travel someplace. In all the changes that took place that towel was my one constant.
   I congratulate all of those who are graduating this years. Best of luck on this new part of your life.