We are approaching that time of year when many young people芒鈧劉s thoughts are turning towards graduation, and their entry into the 芒鈧搑eal world芒鈧� after high school.
Plans are underway for continuing education into universities, technical schools, and trade schools. Some will choose apprenticeships or entry-level jobs with prospects for career enhancement.
Some will float for a bit. They may not have a clear idea yet of what they want to do with the rest of their lives, and in an increasingly rapidly changing world, it芒鈧劉s not hard to sympathize with their indecision. Many of these young people will opt for a transition period, with perhaps some travel or other form of intermission 芒鈧�� a few decades ago, it was commonly referring to as 芒鈧揼oing off to find yourself.芒鈧�
Whatever plans may or may not be formulating in those young minds as they approach the milestone, between then and now, most of them will celebrate.
Not many years ago, that celebration was almost certain to include consumption of alcohol 芒鈧�� immodest quantities of alcohol, in fact 芒鈧�� as if that were some sort of proof of coming of age.
Grad parties 芒鈧�� 芒鈧揼rad drunks,芒鈧� they were often called 芒鈧�� were held in a back corner of a woodsy park, or in an abandoned gravel pit, or at a lakeside retreat, or in any secluded location with limited accessibility芒鈧� because the organizers and participants all knew that the gatherings were illegal, irresponsible, and downright dangerous.
Grad drunks are still organized, some with complicity of some of the parents of kids involved芒鈧� and they芒鈧劉re still illegal, irresponsible, and dangerous.
But in recent decades, most such illicit gatherings have been replaced with alcohol-free celebrations: 芒鈧揹ry grads.芒鈧� It芒鈧劉s a way for young men and women to 芒鈧揵ust out芒鈧� at the end of their secondary school years without endangering their own or others芒鈧劉 lives.
Support your local schools芒鈧劉 dry grads.
芒鈧�� B.G.
