Well good morning! I sit here writing this particular post in the comfort of my patio on a non million degree morning in North Texas. How ’bout that for a run on sentence?

Life has been very “lifey” lately. Work has been erratic. Lost some clients, gained some clients. Finding a new balance for the days. We have an addition to the household on Lavender Lane- a friend of mine recently relocated back to the area and is using my half-way house as she settles into life up here. It’s a pretty easy adjustment.

Yet again, I was knocked on my ass with the bubonic plague, or a summer cold. Call me dramatic, but I feel that there are few things less obnoxious than a summer cold that instantly turns into an upper respiratory infection. Happily for all those around me, I’m starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel, and can take a breath without gasping for air or a box of kleenex.

Despite the plague, I travelled down to visit friends this weekend. It was mostly lovely, if you can forget the fact that I was carrying around a box of kleenex and going to bed before the kids did.

Speaking of kids, enter my rant.

As I was driving home on Sunday, I started to think about my Facebook Feed over the past week or so. Graduations aplenty. Countless pictures of children of all ages wearing the cap & gown. Celebrations of graduation from Pre K, Pre-Pre K, Kinder, 4th Grade, and well, a few legit “Grade 12” commencements.

When the hell did we commence celebrating every transition in a childs education? What ever happened to the Big Bang Celebration of the completion of High School?

From my spinstery perspective, by the time a kid finishes high school, they are going to be nonplussed at the actual accomplishment of Graduation, instead just preparing to pose for yet another cap & gown photo. Seriously? Why are we making every grade transition a big thing? Isn’t it the kids job to navigate the waters of education from Kinder to 1st? From 6th grade to 7th? Why must an awards celebration be launched? Why must parents pay for multiple sets of caps and gowns? Is it just a financial ploy of the schools to sneak in a few extra bucks to have a photo opp for your kids?

19 years ago, when I completed my days at Oscoda Area High School (GO OWLS), Graduation was a big damn thing. College wasn’t guaranteed for all, but we were thrilled to be done with the days of roaming the halls, eating lunch in the commons area and schlepping around books from Mr. Davenports room to Mrs. Cables class. It was WORK and we celebrated the success. I’m 99.99999 % sure we didn’t get a clap off or a Junior High Graduation when we crossed the parking lot from Richardson Middle School to OHS. It was our task to move forward to the ultimate goal of graduation. It was a celebration because it was special. We hadn’t had parties for each transition. In fact, Senior Year WAS special. We visited colleges, busted our butts in Mrs. Lindburgs AP English class (I’m sorry Mrs. L for the terrible grammar in this post), and we partied all night at our All Night Senior Party. Graduation was special, because shockingly, this was our FIRST Graduation. For some it would launch them to a college, for some it would send them to the armed services, others would start families. It was a big thing.

Don’t get me  wrong- I think the pictures of the mini kids in their caps and gowns are precious. I mean, I’m not evil, but I have to wonder, will this desensitize them to the actual major graduation – high school, college, etc?  Is it hard to graduate from Pre-K? Do you have to go a certain amount of days without biting someone or punching out another kid over an elmers glue battle?

Am I wrong? Am I missing the point? Is my empty womb the reason I don’t “get” this current trend? Add a comment… let me know your thoughts.