Class rings, gowns, and more nonsense

This year Darcy had to purchase a graduation gown despite the fact that we had Madison's. Now we have two gowns folded in a box of clothing that they will most likely never be looked into again. Maybe one will be used for a Halloween party or a theatrical production, but let's be serious, those gowns are not going to be worn again. Yet, it was included in "grad fees" and there was no way we could take out the gown portion of the fee. We were stuck with another blue gown that takes up space in my already cluttered house.

Then the emails funneled to my inbox from various companies loudly exclaiming for me not to miss out on "high school's biggest memories" which to them included year books, class rings, and announcements. Because nothing brings back memories more than those things, eh? Which got me thinking. How often do we trek back to take a look at those things?

For me, I recently reorganized my keepsakes going through boxes and cabinets and filing everything in folders that then went back into a box that is shoved in the nether regions of my daughter's bedroom closet. My high school yearbooks, and my K-8th grade book, are in that bin, but I can honestly say that I doubt I will be back in there for those items in the next year or so. As for my announcements, I can't even remember if those were in that pile of stuff. I do remember seeing my tassels that were worn on my graduation caps. They are now filed in a folder, but the announcements? Other than my wedding announcement and invitation I don't remember seeing any other formal cards. No, I take that back. I have other people's graduation announcements which I do believe I chucked. It's bad enough my children will be going through my stuff let alone notices of stranger's invitations and such.

That left my rings. I can remember in high school wanting a class ring. Probably because we all got to get out of class to go down to the office lobby to meet with representatives from the ring companies. I don't remember if we had to vote on the company or not, but I vividly remember the tables and browsing through the samples. My parents, I think, purchased the ring for my birthday, and I do remember worrying about the cost. I didn't get what I wanted. I'm a gold wearer, and gold was more expensive than the silver and white gold, which I didn't even know was a thing until I shopped for this ring. My friend Robin picked out the white gold ring, and I went along with it due to cost, but it wasn't what I would have chosen had cost not been an issue.

One side has our mascot and one side has a seal of some sort. Who knows the seal of their school? The date is on there and the gem stone is topaz which happened to be one of the colors of our school, not to mention my birth stone. That worked out well because who wants a stone that doesn't signify the school colors? That's how I thought in the early 1980's. Inside the ring is my name in my hand writing. That was a cool thing to find in looking over this ring because, whoa, my curly q's on the capitalization of my name.

Don't get me wrong. I wore that ring. I wore the heck out of that ring for the last two years of high school, and I was not a ring wearer. I chewed my nails, still do as observed by that thumb in the above photo, and my fingers are on the pudgy side so a ring on my hands wasn't (and isn't) the most adorable thing. But then I went to college and the ring became passè. It went into my jewelry box where it has resided for the past, cough 35, years. The only finger it fits is the ring finger of my left hand now taken up by my wedding band so even if I wanted to wear it I couldn't. But then, again, who wants to wear those rings?

I find them hideous. Who designed these things? Mine was always worse to me because it wasn't yellow gold, and in looking at it now I just think, "ugh". I think my ring was a tad over $100 which back then to me was a fortune. Today that same ring is $570.00 and that's not including shipping because everything is done over the internet and shipping is part of the cost. WHAT? $570.00 for something you will wear for one to two years depending on when you purchase it? That's crazy. Isn't it? Does this mean my ring is worth that? Hmmm...I hadn't thought about that one.

I got smarter in college. By then ring styles had changed, and Robin wasn't involved in the selection. I got a ring that I thought I would wear forever. Truly. I thought that. I got it in yellow gold and because my dominant school color was also my favorite color I got that win too. I loved the final product, so dainty and girly, something I was not.

Finally, here was a ring that looked pretty and didn't scream, "class ring". I was quite proud of that thing, and I wore it way past my college days. Until one day it too ended up residing in the jewelry box with the high school ring, and while I might wear it today it only fits on my left ring finger or the pinky finger of my right hand. I have no idea what it cost back then, but today it would be over $700.

Years ago I purchased a college class ring for my husband. During a conversation about school, he remarked how he had always wanted a ring, and since he is hard to buy for I researched online and got him a class ring. It cost over $500 at that time, and once he got it on over his big knuckle the ring was too loose. Sizing it smaller would make it impossible to get on over his knuckle. It sits in his drawer never having been worn.

I asked both of my children if they wanted rings. They both looked at me as if I had sprung horns and was pawing at the ground. Darcy's eyes popped out of her head at the thought of spending that kind of money. Maddy went along with this entry and the whole "it will just sit in a drawer" thing. They would rather have electronic devices.

Of course, now days they have more than rings. There are class bracelets and class necklaces. All cost anywhere from $300-$1000 depending on metal and gems. Obviously, someone is purchasing these things since they still sell them, but I want to know who still wears them after school is in the rear view window?

Suddenly two graduation gowns sitting in a box in the closet doesn't seem so bad.