I Skipped Every Graduation and Even My Coming-of-Age Ceremony. Come to Think of It, I Never Liked Ceremonies

The other day, I was watching footage of a graduation ceremony on television when a thought suddenly occurred to me.

“Wait. Did I attend my own high school graduation?”

I searched my memory, but I could not remember it at all.

I have a vague memory of my junior high school graduation. But when it comes to high school, I remember absolutely nothing.

The more I thought about it, the more I realized the same was true of both university and graduate school.

Apparently, I have not attended a single graduation ceremony since junior high school.

And while I am at it, I should mention that I did not attend my coming-of-age ceremony either.

I have to admire my own consistency.

I Probably Skipped My High School Graduation

Once I knew that I had been accepted into university, I almost stopped going to high school altogether.

I did not have any particularly close friends there at the time. I probably saw no reason to make a special trip to school just for the graduation ceremony.

So I most likely did not attend.

I also have no memory of my university graduation ceremony, although in that case, I do remember the reason.

I had already decided to continue on to graduate school, so I spent the day of the ceremony in the laboratory as usual.

I remember classmates who were graduating coming to the lab to say goodbye, dressed in suits or traditional dress.

“Thank you for everything. I guess this is goodbye.”

While my classmates were caught up in that kind of atmosphere, I continued my research as usual.

Come to think of it, the day marked the end of student life for them, but for me, it was merely a point along the way.

I also remember going alone to the administrative office later to collect my university diploma.

Then came my graduate school completion ceremony.

I do not remember attending that one either.

In the end, I remained disconnected from graduation ceremonies right through the end of my student life.

It Was Not Because I Had No Friends

Reading this, you might assume that I was simply a lonely student with no friends.

Whatever may have been true in high school, I had close friends at university like anyone else.

Even so, I did not attend the graduation ceremony.

Why not?

Looking back, I have never had the slightest interest in ceremonies.

I remember my parents accompanying me to entrance ceremonies, but the idea of having them attend my graduation ceremonies from high school onward never even occurred to me.

I do not remember telling them the dates, and I do not remember them asking, “What are you doing about graduation?”

Apparently, neither my parents nor I were particularly interested.

More than anything, ceremonies are a nuisance.

You gather at a fixed time, listen to important people give speeches, and applaud at prescribed moments.

I cannot bring myself to go out of my way just for that.

I have also always been uncomfortable with the party-like atmosphere of large groups gathering to celebrate something.

I have no objection to other people enjoying themselves. I simply have no desire to join them.

Naturally, I Skipped My Coming-of-Age Ceremony Too

Come to think of it, I did not attend my coming-of-age ceremony either.

In that case, I cannot even remember why I chose not to go.

Most likely, attending was never an option that entered my mind in the first place.

Society treats the coming-of-age ceremony as a major milestone in life.

People reunite with former classmates after a long time and take commemorative photographs in formal dress.

For those who enjoy that sort of thing, I am sure it becomes a wonderful memory.

But turning 20 did not make me feel that anything had suddenly changed.

I was simply someone who had been 19 the day before and was now 20.

I felt no need to attend a ceremony to confirm it.

Missing Them Never Caused Me Any Problems

Even looking back now, I have never once regretted missing my graduation ceremonies or coming-of-age ceremony.

I was able to graduate without attending graduation, and I became an adult without attending a coming-of-age ceremony.

As for the diploma, I could simply collect it later from the administrative office.

Come to think of it, perhaps I am simply not very interested in turning life’s milestones into events that have to be celebrated.

That does not mean I find people who attend ceremonies strange. Everyone is different.

Still, whenever I see footage of graduation ceremonies on television, I feel as though I am watching events from another world.

Students in tears, reluctant to say goodbye.

Graduates holding bouquets and posing for commemorative photographs.

As I watch those scenes, a thought suddenly occurs to me.

Come to think of it, where did I put my graduate school diploma?

That concerns me far more than the fact that I missed the ceremony.