We need a little more of both pomp and circumstance.
It’s graduation season, when we hear interminable choruses of Elgar’s Pomp And Circumstance March as graduates process into their commencement ceremony. And I can hear members of the audience – not to mention members of the band – saying, “Why, why, why?”
Why all this pomp and circumstance? Why the formality, why the gowns and speeches and moving of tassels?
It’s funny – as we have moved ever harder into celebrating every last milestone, some of the big ones seem to take on less weight. Commencement is one of those moments that really are important milestones, but are full of traditions that can seem overwrought. I say, let them be overwrought. It’s a big deal, it’s an important moment, and the music, the gowns, the speeches, the traditions all remind us of the weight.
It’s warranted to have a little extra pomp and circumstance.