You Might Be a Hog Fan

        A popular comic has a routine in which he shares tell-tale signs that you may be a redneck. In the midst of another football season, you can tell you are a real fan if you have a list like what follows- my ten most memorable Razorback games. These are in chronological order, because there is no way I could rank the memories from best to worst. They are all a part of the fabric that makes up the lives of the people I love the most.

1.      Arkansas vs. Texas A&M-1975 War Memorial Stadium in Little Rock.  My former boyfriend gave me and my new fiancé tickets to a game in December that was televised. While generous ex watched from the comfort of his couch, future hubby and I almost literally froze in the end-zone. I remember driving his precious Dodge Challenger through the bumper to bumper traffic.  I was very surprised while researching this column to learn that we actually won that game. The score did not play into my memories at all. I was happy to be with a great guy, but longing for a warmer location!

2.     Arkansas vs. Tulsa 1976- Fayetteville. As newlyweds, we drove up to the Ozarks with some friends and witnessed a defensive duel, highlighted by two record-setting field goal kickers- Steve Cox of Tulsa and Steve Little of Arkansas. Tulsa kicked three of them, and the Hogs only managed one. The final score 9-3 Tulsa.

3.   Arkansas vs. LSU 1996- Little Rock.  Our oldest son, with money from his first job burning a hole in his pocket, bought tickets for himself and his dad. A friend who was a State Legislator at the time let us use his passes, so the whole family went on a cold, rainy weekend after Thanksgiving and stayed for most of a miserable defeat. I remember that the purple and gold ponchos outnumbered the red ones by quite a bit when we finally made our way to the exits.

4.     Parent’s Day in Fayetteville- Arkansas vs. Alabama 1998- While recalling that game today, son’s comment was- “Were y’all at that game?” We watched the action from the student section, and observed our college freshman having the time of his life in the end-zone, A big 42-6 win that cemented our fervor for all things cardinal and white.

5.     Arkansas 28, Tennessee 24, Fayetteville, 1999. We watched on television, as our college student spent the weekend after his 21^st. birthday helping his friends dismantle the goal posts after a glorious game. He still owns a baggie with a piece of the turf from that game. Some relics are more precious than gold.

6.     Arkansas vs. Tennessee- September, 2001. Just days before the world changed forever, we were seated on metal seats at the very tip-top of the newly remodeled stadium during severe thunderstorm warnings. After several back and forth trips to the safety of the concourse, hubby and I decided we would be better off watching on the television in our hotel room. Our kids wanted to divorce us that day, but we’ve gotten over it, well most of us have. Anyway, Tennessee won.

7.   Seven Overtimes- Arkansas vs. Mississippi in Oxford- 2001 I actually watched this from a hospital bed after knee surgery. My future son-in-law was keeping an eye on the heart monitor and threatened to turn the television off if I didn’t calm down. Calm? Not a chance. Arkansas 58, Mississippi 56.

8.   War Memorial Stadium- Arkansas vs. Louisiana Monroe 2004.

Our second son had graduated from the U of A by this time, and he came to town for the game. We bought tickets from a scalper outside the stadium, and had terrific seats next to the Razorback band in the South end zone. Son was still in full-on student mode, and performed all of the songs right along with them. We won the game, but it wouldn’t have mattered to us in the least.

9.   Arkansas vs. Mississippi State at Starkville, MS 2008.

This was a road trip with our son’s fiancé and his friends from Memphis. Our now daughter-in-law still remembers that my husband made her leave her warmest coat in the car because it was the wrong color. We left when the game seemed lost, only to hear a rally as we were leaving. Our son pulled in and out of the parking space to get the best reception on the radio. Final score- Mississippi State 31, Arkansas 28.

10.  Arkansas vs. Auburn- Fayetteville, 2009. After a terribly difficult week that included the funeral of someone we all loved, we took a very refreshing trip to the top of The Hill. A great victory, 44-23. How ‘bout them Hawgs, indeed.

A bonus memory that doesn’t directly include me- After my oldest son married, his wife and I stayed at their apartment in Fayetteville, while “the boys” went to the Auburn game. They had two student tickets and a spouse ticket between them, and only one of them was an actual student. Dad was told to try to act like a professor, and brother was praying no-one would challenge his “spouse” status.

       

The Razorbacks are more than our favorite team, they are part of our lives. Here’s hoping your family has some memories together that will last long after the final seconds click off the stadium clock. Woo Pig Sooie!!

Good Beginnings and Great New Starts

So, a new year is under way, and a new decade. Or did the new decade start last year? Regardless, it’s a time to look over our shoulder for a moment before marching boldly forward. With the fresh calendar page, we have a chance to clean the slate, grab a new piece of chalk, and begin to create something really great (with our erasers handy when we change our minds).

I’ve been thinking back on the great places and situations that gave me my start. I grew up with a Mom who refused to buy into the idea of a “broken home” and instead did everything possible to give me and my sister a firm foundation to carry us along in life. Our little town encouraged us with an emphasis on churches, schools, parks, concerts, parades. All of the things that make for a rich and happy childhood. We took advantage of everything that was free or affordable with a little planning and saving, and can now spend hours regaling anyone who wants to sit still long enough with countless happy tales.

After moving to Arkansas, I happened into a great place to spend my senior year of high school. At a recent reunion, I realized that Bryant was a good place for a great start in our adult lives. Attending school in a time before corporal punishment ended, we learned that life wasn’t always fair or easy, but together, we could survive and thrive. Our boundaries were clear, and consequences certain. We seemed to have emerged with a “can-do” spirit that still exists. There’s not a lot of “Why-me?”s heard in this group. It’s more often “Why not?” We don’t have a whole lot of famous or wealthy alums, but we certainly have some of the friendliest and most hard-working.

It’s probably no secret that each week of my life has a good beginning. I spend an hour or so on the first day worshipping with like minded people. The strength and happiness this provides cannot be measured. I understand those who say that they haven’t found a group where they “fit in”, but my answer is to keep trying. The process of taking the focus off of yourself and expressing thanks to the Source of your daily blessings seems to me to be the best way to prepare for the trials of the week to come.

Along those lines, our little congregation in Paron is making a very big new start this year. A new minister hopes to energize and motivate us to continue the good work that has been happening in that community for almost a hundred years. His name is in fact, Christmas. Very appropriate since that celebration commemorates the very best new beginning in the history of mankind.

Even our favorite college football team is getting in the happy New Start mode. For the first time in a very long time, we are close enough to the top of the polls to be listed among contenders for a National Championship. Our team will be celebrating the New Year a few days late in New Orleans, which is currently the center of a rebounding economy on the Gulf. It feels good to feel so good, for Razorback fans, and for residents of the Big Easy.

So what will you do with your fresh start? Are you full of hopeful plans for 2011? If not, take a look back to see what you can draw on from your past. Do you have a firm starting place by virtue of a good upbringing? If not, look around for someone you know who does. Talk to them about the source of their strength. They’ll most likely be glad to share, and may even steer you toward someone who can help.
This past summer, a Florida rainstorm trapped my grandson and me on a Disney ride with an annoying, but catchy song. It still populates our heads now and then, reminding us that “There’s a great big beautiful tomorrow, just a dream away!” Hope 2011 brings lots of great beginnings for you and yours.