Rites of Passage

This evening P and I are going to the Granddaughters "graduation" from middle school (eighth grade for those who aren't used to that particular system of school divisions - I went from kindergarten to grade school directly to high school. There was no middle about it). I put the graduation in quote marks because, technically, she will not be getting a degree or diploma. She will be receiving a certificate of completion if I am not mistaken. A small detail, but the cause of a lot of discussion, especially when it came to whether or not the term "Graduates" could be used on banners to decorate the school for the ceremony and dance after. (It was allowed.) Heady times for both mother and daughter. We will be taking the station of doting grandparents along with the rest of her extended family. So, graduation and dance this evening and tomorrow she leaves on a class trip to Washington DC/New York for four or five days. This is very big doings! Her mom reported that preparations included pedicure, manicure, hair and what else I don't want to know about. It's obviously different for a young woman. For my eighth grade graduation I had to take a shower, polish my Sunday shoes and wear a tie . Took me all of 20 minutes, probably. Of course, I was the fourth child in the family to go through this particular rite, so it may have been special for me, but I knew the routine. Besides, it meant getting out of school! The beginning of Summer Vacation! Being able to stay up later! Not having to try to weasel out of doing homework. Baseball, hanging out at the public swimming pool, hanging out with buddies at the corner store, riding bikes all over the city. And meeting girls....

My next oldest brother was going into 12 grade the next year, a senior. I was going to be a Freshman. He was co-captain of the Cross Country Team. That summer he mapped out a one mile course through the neighborhood to run to start getting into shape. I remember going with him on late night runs (10:00 or so because it was cooler then and also dark and late: most people were inside by then). I ran because I was going to try out for the Cross Country team. It turned out that only two or three freshmen tried out for the team that year.
And, by the end of the season I had managed to progress from being last on the team to second last. Not much progress, but progress none the less. Being on the team with mainly upperclassmen gave me a different set of people to hang around with that first semester of high school. I earned some acceptance with a wide range of people in that little society called high school.