So your advice boils down to: You're one person. They (your parents and other interested parties) are several. You can make them happy with the most minimal effort. Fuck them. They don't deserve it, because you are the only one that matters in your own life. Kinda cynical, eh?
So your advice boils down to: You're one person. There are billions of other people in the world. There is always more you can do for other people, to make other people happy, so you should never do anything to make yourself happy. Always put everyone else first. This is just as accurate a summary as yours is and I think BOTH fail to reflect the actual reality of the situation (and the content of what we were summarizing). There are plenty of compromises that don't leave any people unhappy.
This isn't aimed at you, but I'm starting to get pretty worried about which comments get "shared" on hubski. We've hit a point with enough users that short comments get more shares than long ones automatically. And I frankly can't believe anyone who read your post and thought it was an accurate summation of my post had actually read my post. I don't know what there is to do about it, but it's one of the early signs of eternal September and I don't want it to happen to hubski.
If you want to negatively spin everything I said, then I guess that's somewhat accurate. But only somewhat. If your parents prioritize seeing you walk across a stage for fifteen seconds after sitting still for four hours (oh and it costs a bunch of money), then they're not the sort of people you want to be pleasing at the expense of your own happiness. And your advice seems to boil down to: "it's a milestone." Hmm.
Forget the specifics of what it is you're doing. It's irrelevant and immaterial to the broader point that if you can do something minimal to make people you care about happy, then why not do it? Anything else is vanity and egomania. Not at all sure how you're reading that I said "it's a milestone." I never gave a fuck about school in the slightest sense, and at no time do I mention anything of the sort. You're projecting, and filling in gaps that aren't there.
Oh, not you specifically. Some other commenters said exactly that and I figured you might be making their argument. Because alternatives. You can make them happy at little cost to yourself. Well and good. OR you can skip the fucking thing, go out and have a long goodbye dinner with your parents/family where you can actually INTERACT with them and TALK to them and SEE them -- maybe that'll make them happy? Maybe -- gasp -- it'll make everyone happy, yourself included? Maybe it'll even end up being cheaper, although that's optional. I mean, damn. Lots of things make parents happy. Pick one that makes you happy too. If for some asinine reason they beg you to walk, then fuck it, walk. But at least sit 'em down and explain the more interesting alternatives.Forget the specifics of what it is you're doing. It's irrelevant and immaterial to the broader point that if you can do something minimal to make people you care about happy, then why not do it? Anything else is vanity and egomania.