Graduation Season

A tip of the cap (and gown)

Short one today: June is almost over and so is the season of graduations, including those from elementary and middle school which we are supposed to call promotions. I have vivid memories of my own graduation from high school (Who decided that the whole class should sing “We’ve Only Just Begun” the Carpenters song that includes the lyrics “white lace and promises”??), college (an endless procession around Providence’s College Hill with a quick glimpse of Jackie O whose son, JFK Jr. was one of my classmates), and a hot hot day when I got my doctorate and my nine month old daughter reacted to the whole thing by falling asleep face down in her stroller.

Even if you’re not into pomp and circumstance, it is important to stop, take a moment, and celebrate this rite of passage. Most 18 year olds still have a lot of growing up to do but the end of high school starts a season of change —whether that be living away from parents and best friends or shifting from a schedule that is highly structured to one that has many fewer fixed parameters. For the college grads, the real world will be all too real soon enough with job interviews, leases, and bills for things that used to magically appear when needed, like socks and underwear, toothpaste and laundry detergent.

The high school kids who graduated during the pandemic lost a lot when it came to the rituals of teenage life, missing proms, graduation ceremonies, and beach weeks. That was the first time I noticed yard signs cropping up to note where graduating seniors lived, and that tradition continues. Here’s a smattering of what I’ve seen on my walks on both sides of the District line — surprisingly I have yet to see a sign from my neighborhood schools.

Congrats to the graduates and good luck wherever you’re headed next.

Postscript: I’ve been thinking about items that should go on a DC bucket list and translating those into a series of posts. If you have suggestions, please drop a comment.