You walk into the gymnasium and look around. The decorations are beautiful, gold stars,balloons, black table cloth laded with trophies. On the wall, all the students pictures artfully done with a reflection essay placed next to each one. Six benches on the right taped off for the up coming ceremony.
You sit down a few minutes before filled with anticipation, remembering your school days.
The music begins and in walk young smiling faces. You look , pondering, so young, very young, wait where am I? Sudden realization hits, you're not at some collage or high school, your at an ELEMENTARY school! The students walking to the honored and hollowed graduation march are SIXTH GRADERS!
You think to yourself as you watch them stand in front of the once taped benches, REALLY? Your mind races to find some sort of meaning and understanding to this completely over done celebration. Why are we taking time, resources and money to celebrate in a tradition that should be saved for high school and college? The mind is completely blown away as you listen to five sixth graders giving reflection speeches about a time in their lives that consisted of recess, lunchtime, and setting up play dates as soon as the bell rings. You mouth drops in astonishment as five teachers award four trophies(publicly) to a few select student who probably don't understand what it means to be a humanitarian, spirit leader, academic, and class leader.
(Now don't get me wrong. I'm sure these kids are bright enough to know the definition of these roles, but to understand the part they play in them should really be left to the young adults that have truly stepped up and found something to believe in, not unlike what happens in high school and college.)
If the music,speeches and trophies weren't enough to make you gasp, you get to hear each students name read while watching them receive a faux leather bound certificate with adjoining picture of them in a cap n gown.(Much nicer and way more inappropriate then a high school diploma) Topping the ridiculous cake that you have witnessed be made, the principal stands up to give a 'this is your future and remember you past' pep talk.
As you get up in a speechless stumble, you slowly realize how sad our lives have become to feel the need to celebrate moving from sixth grade to seventh grade with such vertebra-to. What happened to the days of the small classroom party where you could laugh with your friends and be a kid? What happened to munching on cupcakes and popcorn, playing music or a movie and signing each others shirts? What happened to your teacher handing out funny specialty certificates made just for you and your classmates?
Numbness comes over as you walk to your car because there is nothing you can say that will stop this foolishness, especially in front of the poor unsuspecting students, one being your son, who had no choice or understanding to protest. All you can do is fake a smile and try not to get into any conversations, because you know you won't be able to keep your mouth shut for long.
The drive home is a quiet one. You know tomorrow will be another day for someone else to waste everything overcompensating in the name of the children because of their inadequate feelings of self.
