Sometimes, my students--former students, to be exact--and/or my tutors ask me whether I'm planning to attend the college's graduation ceremonies. I explain that, while I am suitably proud of their accomplishments, I will not be attending. Frankly, I have sat through far too many of my own graduations: high school, college (BA), and college (MA) more than sated my appetite for pomp and circumstance. When I finished my second masters, I was quite content to stay home and watch "Seinfeld" reruns rather than sit through another commencement.
Today, FOS posted on Facebook that his youngest was "graduating" from fifth grade. Now, I mean no offense to FOS--and I give all due respect to FOS's son, who is a perfectly charming young man and who I am certain will go on to bigger and better things--but, when in God's name did this happen?!?
Nobody "graduates" from fifth grade! Well, OK, literally, fifth graders "graduate," but this is hardly a milestone! College, sure. High school, OK--although in today's world, a high school diploma has come to mean less and less. And I suppose that kindergarten graduations are cute, but come on! When I "graduated" from fifth grade, I was handed a report card and a reminder note for my parents that sixth grade started on September 9th! And then I was kicked in the teeth! Why do people make a fuss about fifth grade (and, I suppose, sixth and seventh and so on)? Are we surprised that the kids made it?
No "graduation" is deserving of the name if a likely venue for the celebration is Chuck E. Cheese!
Not for nothin' but... NOBODY "literally" graduates from fifth (or any other) grade.
ReplyDeleteThey are graduated from it.
Literally.
And how come FOS's kid had to wait so long?
Nowadays most kids start their "graduation" ceremonies in pre-school!
Not that there's anything right with that.