See Ya At the Party

 My wife and I have three grandchildren graduations to attend plus three other family (relatives) graduations and four friends graduations. We will actually attend the graduation ceremonies of our grandchildren but simply make an appearances at the others' graduation parties; to leave a congratulatory card with money. Today's high school graduation parties are much different than those parties of yesteryear. I recall graduating from East St. Louis Senior High School and noticing my parents and a couple of aunts and uncles in the audience. They all hug me afterwards; I showed them the watch my parents bought me and a couple of those relatives handed me a card with perhaps a ten dollar bill inside. It was all good. The next day, I went to work at my summer job...I believe my parents thought the watch would help to be ON TIME the rest of my work life.

Here's how today's graduation parties play out: We will endure the readings of a couple hundred names at two ceremonies and about 600 names at the third ceremony; only to hear our grandkid's name read. Some post-grad parties will occur immediately after the ceremony but most will be conducted the next day or two days later. The reason for this delay is to do greater justice to the party- EVENT.

 Regardless, we will enter the home and speak warmly with parents and a few adults we may know. Then we will enter a room where the graduate and his/her friends are all huddled around together completely ignoring one another as they finger-poke their cell phones sending text messages to someone some place else who obviously does not give a rat's butt to be at this 'party.' I'll say some thing stupid as old farts commonly do and hand the graduate the congratulatory card and 'dough.' He will say thanks and stand before me dumbfounded not knowing the social protocol for that moment! I will excuse myself thus taking the pressure off the situation. Once upon a time, I would ask dumb questions such as, "What do you plan to 'study' in college?" The female would recite some thing goofy like, "fashion design," and the males would often shrug his shoulders and say, "I'm not sure." No graduate will be wearing a watch.

Actually, based upon recent findings, trends and personal observations, I would suggest these graduates  pursuing college degrees in careers that would address the needs of this generation graduating. Those careers might include the following:  Verbal Expression Therapist, Surgeon Specialist of the Wrist & Hand, Tattoo Removal Technician and finally, Family "Stories" Data & Information; this latter business would be an agency collecting families' stories and information for distribution at a later time to those young people too damn busy texting to talk with family members NOW!