Underachievers or an abundance of discouragment?

Eight grade graduation WAS NOT a graduation. The principal spent twenty minutes making sure the parents and the kids knew this. He stated that it is only one more of the life stages we must conqurer. He stated that "you will not graduate untill you have made it through college and are a productive member of society." To do this he made sure the kids and parents understood that includes High School as well as the Associated Degree one would abtain on their way through college. He made life sound discouraging and I even felt "why try". I was sad for these youngsters who have worked very hard for this day. I was sad that they made absolutly NO individual recognitions...no one was honored for the highest GPA. NO awards period were given out. I see this as a lack of encouragement not fairness. My daughter should have had a 4.0 she chose not to apply herself. I think it would have been good for her to see someone recieve an award for their hard work...I think she would have realized she is where she is because of herself and maybe would have tried harder next year. I learned that with out encouragement, goals and rewards it is human nature to quit trying. We have to have something to work for and "This is not a graduation" just does not cut it. Almost eighty dollars for a dress and my daughter walked into the gym sat for an hour and walked out. What is that all about? So to all the people in the world screaming "Life is not fair" GET OVER IT!!! Your right it is not...but life gives you what you work for not what is fair. I would also like to point out that I did notice our obesity issues...I noticed it in the parents and family members that arrived an hour before hand just for a front row parking spot and a bottom bench on the bleachers. I noticed that the elderly and the parents with very young babies were the ones who had to park a mile from the school and the ones who had to climb Mt Evrest after their mile long treck. I even saw one old lady have to stop and breath in her Oxygen on her way up the bleachers...no one offered her their seat in the front row...but then again...who wants a heard of fat people sitting at the top. So to all the fat people...get off your butt...it will quit growing...and get that diet shit out of our schools. NOT ONE VENDING MACHINE in that school sells anything but water or diet drinks....guess cancer in lab rats, and demylenation of nuerons is a chance worth taking to prevent obesity....guess no one ever heard of portion sizes and excercise. So I ended the day frustrated at society... I just dont get it...we have to all survive together, what happened to common courtesy, manners, and commpassion....the only please thank you and excuse me I heard in that school came from my little Lou. Every time someone stepped on the poor blind child she said excuse me...I so wanted to tell her to say..."Would you get the hell off me and watch were you are walking!" So after graduation we took Melissa to a pediatric eye doc. Her daddies eyes are bad due to a genetic problem. She has it too. She is seeing the world through a blurred zone. It has probably not always been this way as this is a problem that gets worse with age untill adult hood then the whole process reverses...Eric should be able to go without glasses by the time he is sixty...funny how that works but it does...so now Melissa will join the four eyed members of the family. she did wonderful on all the tests and seemed greatly pleased to recognize a house through a lens she even told the lady wich picture was better...it will take a year or so to fine tune this problem but at least now she will be able to tell there is a hill in front of her. So now it is off to work for me...after donnys drivers test and after I rush all the kids back here for Heidi to watch...thanks sister.....loves....my reality