graduation!!!!

It is a great day!  We spent our morning attending "Super Son's" college graduation.  It is actually his second degree and we are so proud of him!!!

Not to put a damper on the excitement of the event, but I am losing my mind over the whole event!  We have seven children, therefore we have attended quite a few graduations.  There were obviously seven high school graduations, six bachelor's degree graduations, two masters degree graduations and a medical school graduation.  I am, well I don't know how to describe what I am over this.  I thought that the behavior at graduations has gotten progressively worse, "the Ninja" has informed me that I have just gotten older and less tolerant.  So be it. Today, I was embarrassed for all the people who didn't have the sense to be embarrassed for themselves.  Let the tirade begin.

First of all, to the graduates.  You put in a lot of years and hard work to get to this point.  Show that it is an important day by dressing and behaving appropriately.  It is not the day for jeans and casual wear, even though you wear a robe.  Ladies, if you are going to dress up, at least keep "the girls" tucked in.  This is not a burlesque show or a Victoria's Secret Runway Show.  And for God's sake if you are going to wear five inch heels, please practice walking in them.  While they can make your calves look great, you need to remember that if you stumble around in them and balance yourself by sticking your bucket out - doesn't look so good.  And why would you decorate your cap like you just finished art class with glitter, bows and sequins.  There are better ways to celebrate and thank your parents.  This is an academic event, not a frat party!

To the parents, friends, and families.  The graduate put a lot of years and hard work into this achievement.  Show that it is important to you by behaving appropriately.  When they ask you to turn your phone off, please do so.  If you have a brain dead moment and the message doesn't sink in, don't wait for the third time it rings to be asked again to turn it off.  Dress appropriately!  You are likely to be in close proximity to other attendees.  I really should NOT have to address this, but please make sure you are clean and fresh and utilizing a marvelous invention called deodorant.  Ladies, if you can barely walk, should you really be wearing heels?  Young ladies, this is not about dressing up like you are going to a bar to pick up guys, have some decency, please! As my guys would say, we do not need to look like a "Slutappotamous".  Gentlemen, perhaps you should also rethink that chewing tobacco and a cup to spit in.  This is not an athletic event.  It does not require you to sound off with horns and whoops and hollering as your graduate's name is called.  Others are graduating also, people who have also sacrificed and worked hard.  Maybe their friends and family members would like to hear their names announced too.  But wait, they can't hear the names because you are to busy acting like you are a rodeo and not an academic event! 

To the schools.  Please establish guidelines regarding behavior and dress for the graduates and expectations of behavior for the attendees.  Then stick to your rules and have enough personnel on hand to enforce them.  Somewhere years ago, the first person shouted or blew an air horn and got away with it.  Not to be outdone, others followed, competed and escalated.  If I want to go to cheer, I should go to a football game.  When you tell people to remain in their seats until the recessional is over, make sure that happens.  We are all excited to see our graduate, but the cluster that is created by everyone heading to the exits at once is unsafe at best! 

To everyone.  Once the event is over, and you are heading out of the venue to find your graduate, please make sure to stop and take pictures in the middle of the staircase, across the bottom of the staircase, and in the doorways so that all exits are blocked.  The campus only sits on hundreds of acres and there cannot be any other place available to do this.  REALLY?

Everything I say today, I witnessed and experienced today!!  I spent a significant amount of time, unable to hear the speeches, see my graduate and enjoy his moment.  Instead of "Pomp and Circumstance" we had to hear Calypso music at the end of the ceremony.  I guess I am just too old fashioned.  I spent a lot of the day looking around and wondering "Where are your parents?"  Then I saw them, now it all makes sense.

Anyway - Congratulations "Super Son", on another milestone and thanks for giving us one more story to tell!!!!