We just got back from Pittsburgh, PA where we attended my granddaughter Rachel's graduation from high school. Lots of memorable moments this past weekend. First she got her bellybutton pierced as one of her gifts (done before we got there). Secondly, she was awarded a scholarship to play volleyball at a local college next year. Third, her class of 2011 was the first graduating class for Center Valley HS which is a school made up of two high schools who merged. New mascot, new school colors, new leaders. Fourth, she also got her driver's license on Saturday.
The whole experience made me think back on my graduation in the 60's in California. What a difference a few decades make!!!!!! We got our driver's license the day we turned 16. Now the kids wait longer, no rush to get it. What's the same - wearing caps and gowns and the tassel ceremony. Pomp and Circumstance is still played as the seniors walk into the auditorium. Speeches made by leaders,Valedictorians (2) and Salutatorians (2). No longer is it required that the graduates attend the Baccalaureate ceremony the week before - now an option. We had to attend ours back in the day. Rachel attended a locked down party in the school that ran all night - sponsored by the parents. We just went out to dinner afterwards and then attended private parties. As far as piercings - very few people wore piercings other than in their ears in the 60s. I didn't get mine pierced until I was in my 20's. One thing that really surprised me was that the yearbooks aren't handed out until the end of summer. We had such fun getting it the week before the school year ended so you could collect as many signatures as we could and get/write messages from our friends, the teachers, whoever. I took video and camera shots at Rachel's graduation using my smart phone and digital camera. At my graduation, we had the old Brownie Kodak camera which had to have the film developed at the local drugstore and you waited for a few days to get the pictures back. This weekend I simply uploaded the pictures and video to Facebook within minutes.
Memories like these are precious and since I work with multi-generations in the workplace, great stories to share and fond memories; helping people understand how things change as time goes on and how important it is to remember the simple things that stood out as we move from one chapter to the next in our lives.
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