I never got no damn diploma.
Two days ago I had the great privilege of attending Jaco's graduation from 8th grade. Here in Santa Fe they have graduations for every grade, so I'm told, from Kindergarten to Senior Year of High School.
There were a couple of grades still to go when I arrived, and I was thus treated to a row of fifth graders all nervously saying "Thank you" into a mike, a sixth grader who had extremely unwarranted arrogance("I am humbled to be standing before you... I am the mouse that churned the cream into butter and escaped with his life!") and an entire grade of kids who sang and signed along to Lean on Me, which was pretty cool.
Jaco's speech was great - it was honest and funny rebellious at the same time. He's a cool dude.
I was reminded of The Incredibles, however. One of it's main themes is of mediocrity, and how it shouldn't be celebrated - this is explicity stated when Bob is told to attend his son(Dash)'s graduation from sixth grade. Bob remarks that a graduation for such a non-achievement seems pointless(paraphrase).
I must say, I agree. From what I'v seen of American High School graduations(and that is of course via TV and Film), they're a huge event, and truly representative of an enormous achievement - the survival of twelve years of enforced learning(ugh).
I can't help but think that to try and replicate that for each year of a student's life really does nothing but diffuse that sense of achievement, until that final graduation at the end of high school becomes just another one of many - boring, routine, staid.
Still, I had a good time at Jaco's graduation, and he clearly did too - which is what matters.