Graduations

‘Tis the season of celebrations 🎉.

Back in my day (yep, old people saying…), graduations were for major achievements like finishing high school or the amazing feat of university. These were not necessarily benchmarks that everyone would achieve; thus, warranting a celebration.

Nowadays, I see posts for graduations from kindergarten and every minor achievement reached. It’s almost blasé when someone shares they’ve passed their doctoral exams – as if it’s just another everyday event.

When did we decide that a five-year-old should be given even more attention and recognition for doing something that is an expected part of growing up? When did we become immune to the six to ten-year accomplishment of contributing something new to a field and bettering society?

I recently re-listened to a talk by Simon Sineck on millennials in the workplace. Even though not all of it was necessarily true in my mind, he did hit on the point that we have over-celebrated (are over-celebrating) mediocrity and what is a basic expectation of living in this world (not in the same words); thus causing a numbness to the celebration of real achievements.

Of course, some readers might retort that I don’t have children so who am I to criticize? Other readers might think I’m just old-fashioned. That’s fine, but it does not take away from the truth:

I think, we should stop watering down what is really worth celebrating and consider how to make those moments truly special rather than encouraging the repeated superficiality as what seems to be the trend now.

~T 😀