R-E-S-P-E-C-T
The Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin sang about it and I assume most of us were taught by our parents how important it is to show it.
But as I sat at my nephew's high school graduation last week in Columbia, Missouri, I wondered what happened to showing a little "R-E-S-P-E-C-T."
I proudly glanced over at Danny Sebastian several times during the ceremony thinking about what a fine young man he had become in eighteen years. I'm especially proud that he wants to go on to college and become an educator. But just as my thoughts lingered, an outburst of laughter in the auditorium. Someone in the crowd had thrown two beach balls down from the rafters onto the eight-hundred graduating Seniors. At first it was amusing as teachers scrambled to grab the balls and restore order as the commencement speaker tried to ignore the disruption.
But minutes later several more beach balls were thrown from the stands onto the Seniors and the graduates bounced them back and forth between themselves. This continued periodically throughout the graduation ceremony, even as students started to receive their diplomas. Unfortunately, as I aimed to capture the unbelievable display of disrespect, my camera's battery dies. Even more unbelievable was when I finally got a look at some of the beach ball launchers, they were adults! No, not young adults but some looked 40 or 50 years old, smiling, even jumping in excitement at causing the disruption.
I sat there in amazement, wondering why these few adults didn't get it. This was a special ceremony to honor all of the hard work of these young men and women. Didn't they deserve a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I surely didn't find the humor in their childish behavior. As I continued to look around the dignitaries, district officials and high school staff had looks of horror on their faces as the ceremony seemed on the verge of total chaos.
I guess what really matters is that my nephew got his diploma and his family was there to share in his big moment, but the kids that day deserved the undivided attention of the thousands of family and friends who were in attendance.
They had no control over the three-ring circus that their graduation was reduced to by a few who apparently never learned there's a time and place for everything and that was not the time nor place for their antics.
But as I sat at my nephew's high school graduation last week in Columbia, Missouri, I wondered what happened to showing a little "R-E-S-P-E-C-T."
I proudly glanced over at Danny Sebastian several times during the ceremony thinking about what a fine young man he had become in eighteen years. I'm especially proud that he wants to go on to college and become an educator. But just as my thoughts lingered, an outburst of laughter in the auditorium. Someone in the crowd had thrown two beach balls down from the rafters onto the eight-hundred graduating Seniors. At first it was amusing as teachers scrambled to grab the balls and restore order as the commencement speaker tried to ignore the disruption.
But minutes later several more beach balls were thrown from the stands onto the Seniors and the graduates bounced them back and forth between themselves. This continued periodically throughout the graduation ceremony, even as students started to receive their diplomas. Unfortunately, as I aimed to capture the unbelievable display of disrespect, my camera's battery dies. Even more unbelievable was when I finally got a look at some of the beach ball launchers, they were adults! No, not young adults but some looked 40 or 50 years old, smiling, even jumping in excitement at causing the disruption.
I sat there in amazement, wondering why these few adults didn't get it. This was a special ceremony to honor all of the hard work of these young men and women. Didn't they deserve a little R-E-S-P-E-C-T. I surely didn't find the humor in their childish behavior. As I continued to look around the dignitaries, district officials and high school staff had looks of horror on their faces as the ceremony seemed on the verge of total chaos.
I guess what really matters is that my nephew got his diploma and his family was there to share in his big moment, but the kids that day deserved the undivided attention of the thousands of family and friends who were in attendance.
They had no control over the three-ring circus that their graduation was reduced to by a few who apparently never learned there's a time and place for everything and that was not the time nor place for their antics.
Labels: Graduation
posted by Romona at
8:34 PM
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