Are You Elitest? | 05/29/04

I'm really not trying to be mean nor elitist but come on. It's 2004 and for those of us fortunate enough to be born in the United States, isn't it sort of a given that Child X will graduate high school? In 2002, 80% of Americans graduated high school. {X} I'm sure that the figure has at least stayed at least near than mark two years later if not increased a smidge. Now, I was not the model student in high school. Like a handful of the "gifted" kids I wasn't particularly hard-working, motivated, or any other sort of positive adjective. Nonetheless, I graduated. Although my family has not been in the US for centuries, they too also graduated high school. My grandparents have high school diplomas and my parents have dabbled in both college and post-graduate work. Now for my main point: What's the big deal about graduating from high school? Last night we played a gig at a very nice home, filled with intelligent people who obviously have not only attained successful careers but good educations. They were there, of course, celebrating a high school graduation. In my family high school graduation was no big deal. Maybe 15 members of my family showed up, we ate some of my mom's home-cooking and everyone went home. Even graduating from UWM was not that much more illustrious. Now, don't get me wrong--I love playing music and I love that people want to hear our music so much that we're able to make money a decent amount of money to play but the amount of money we made last night could have never (and I mean NEVER) been paid by anyone in my family. When I get my D.M. the total cost of the party might be 1/4 of *just* what we (the band) made last night. Again, I don't mean to complain because, of course, we like to make money. I just don't understand why this lavish celebration is necessary. The people last night were not elitist at all--they couldn't have been any nicer nor accommodating so I don't want to give any sort of false information about them--they were great. I just don't understand what's going on with the huge ceremonies for something that the vast majority of Americans readily do. Oh, look at the time. Time to shower and do it all over again. (Not that I'm complaining!)




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