This fall it will be ten years ago that I received my most
prized possession. My Aggie Ring. I was counting down to the day before I sent
in the check, before I even applied to A&M, before I got my drivers license,
and quite possibly before I even took the training wheels off my pink Huffy.
Looking back over these almost 32 years I can’t remember a
thing that ever mattered more to me.
When I moved to College Station at 18 years of age it wasn’t always easy
to focus. After I learned that the phrase “D for Diploma” wasn’t an accurate
representation of what the business school wanted, I buckled down and began to keep my eyes on
the prize. Over my college years I began to understand more and more what that
gold ring was about.
It was about E. King Gill and the 12th Man. About
me standing at every game for the 5 football seasons I was an undergrad ready
to take the field if my team needed me.
It was about November 18th, 1999. About The
University of Texas. Who although we have always had and always will have our differences,
they are our brothers and sisters who took a moment to share our loss.
It was about Silver Taps, Muster, and saying “Here” For you fallen
comrade.
It was about saying, “Howdy!” to a stranger on campus.
Helping a fan of an opponent on a Saturday in the fall. Offering directions and
ending with a “Welcome to Aggieland!” It was about the Keepers of the Spirit, and
the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band.
As a graduate it’s about the Aggie Network. Recognizing a
fellow Ag at a bar in Dallas, an airport terminal in New York, or a subway in
Paris, France.
It’s about lending a hand and helping your fellow man, preparing
for the future, learning from mistakes in the past and holding dear traditions
of those that came from before, and most of all being part of a family.
The Aggie Spirit has always moved me.
May God continue to bless America. And may God continue to
bless Texas A&M.
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