Traditions
Howdy! I started this blog on my way back from Texas but have been so busy catching up from missing 6 days in Indiana, I hadn’t had time to finish until now… Enjoy ya’ll!
Friday morning my sister and I set off on a two and a half hour road trip from Whatchamacallit, Texas down to College Station, Texas so I could experience the “Aggie” lifestyle I had heard so much about. From what my sister had told me A&M is a school rich in traditions and camaraderie and I was ready to fully immerse myself for the weekend and get to know her life as an “Aggie.” Similarly to A&M, I am a person that highly regards traditions, rituals and familiar feelings. I believe that traditions keep us at a constant in the world, family traditions, personal traditions, societal traditions; they all help us maintain the status quo.
So Sarah and I climbed in her white chariot and began our road trip down highway 35. As you might expect we have our own road trip traditions…and if you‘ve ever been in a car with me for more than an hour, you know exactly what I mean…. we had our essential road trip gear:
- Non- diet beverages
- Salty snack (Snyders Buffalo Pretzels… if you don’t know them, you should.)
- Sweet snack (home made cookies)
- And a pretty sick CD of some super fly jams.
We got to College Station and I was really excited to understand and see all that my sister wanted me to. Our first stop after meeting all the gals at the GPB house was to a memorial on the A&M campus. I won’t go into detail for fear of relaying something incorrectly, however I can briefly give a background. At A&M it is a tradition for there to be a large bonfire the night before the home football games. In 1999 the Corp (another A&M tradition) were burning the stack when it collapsed and took the lives of 12 proud students. The memorial dedicated to these students brought tears to my eyes. Especially the fact that one man laid under the stack and when the emergency crews tried to rescue him he yelled out “Help my buddies first” and directed the help to where other students were stuck under the burning debris. Such a selfless and Christian act by such a young man made me wonder “would I do the same?” It was quite a thought provoking memorial as well as a good insight to the “Aggie” personality.
After our obligatory trip around the campus we joined up with some of Sarah’s friends and went to
dinner and out for the night. This area of town know as Northgate is just like Broad Ripple or Kirkwood, except Texas style. I made great friends with a beagle named Sophie that was just hanging out in the bar and for the first time in years… I had a fraternity pledge give me a ride home. THAT my friends made me realize (a) just how old I am; and (b) just how young my sister is. We also took a stroll down bottle cap lane which I must admit... pretty ingenious... why fill in an alley in between bars full of bottle caps? Also what else would a night out with the Walden sisters be without one of us getting yelled at by a cop at a stoplight… jack-bag move of the day, thank you very much.
As 11 a.m. rolled around way too early the next morning Sarah took me to a tradition that was seemingly quite unfamiliar to me…going to a college football game…and actually attending the game…sober. At A&M things are so different! We went to the game where everyone carried in huge bottles of water (which Sarah swore were not filled with vodka, but I know some kids out there have to be rebels) they all did synchronized cheers (without cheerleaders because they don’t have them) their band dressed in military uniforms and does the same song every game but changes formations and patterns and almost every girl there had on cowboy boots with her A&M gear… crazy.
Now this may sound horrid to some people but I must say…it was AWESOME! The traditions they have are outstanding and never before have I seen such enthusiasm and respect at a college football game. We spent the rest of our day with the GPB girls and our mommy, having fun eating wings and ending our night with stories of success in a hotel bar.
The next morning I woke at 6 to make my flight back to Indy…which is another drama in itself, but just before my mom and I left our hotel room at College Station I had the worst 5 minutes of my entire trip. I sat solemnly on the end of the bed and stared at my baby sister sleeping and I realized just how hard it is to not be near the ones you love. So I did our tradition. Growing up whenever one of us was sad or upset or lonely we would climb in bed with each other and just hold on to the one person that keeps each of us stable. As I laid down next to my sister I couldn’t help myself, I started crying. This little girl that I helped raise now has a new life in Texas without me, she’s doing fine all on her own and she’s making her own traditions in this world and for that, I am so proud of her. But for this brief moment in time that I laid next to her, she opened her eyes, dried my tears and didn’t have to say a word but she did and all she said was Sissy don’t cry, I love you too.
All in all I had a great time in Texas the weather was amazing, my mom and sister’s friends were a blast and it made me realize that the two of them are starting traditions all their own in Texas, and I’m A-OK with that. Maybe it’s time I start something new of my own…
Gig 'em!
Friday morning my sister and I set off on a two and a half hour road trip from Whatchamacallit, Texas down to College Station, Texas so I could experience the “Aggie” lifestyle I had heard so much about. From what my sister had told me A&M is a school rich in traditions and camaraderie and I was ready to fully immerse myself for the weekend and get to know her life as an “Aggie.” Similarly to A&M, I am a person that highly regards traditions, rituals and familiar feelings. I believe that traditions keep us at a constant in the world, family traditions, personal traditions, societal traditions; they all help us maintain the status quo.
So Sarah and I climbed in her white chariot and began our road trip down highway 35. As you might expect we have our own road trip traditions…and if you‘ve ever been in a car with me for more than an hour, you know exactly what I mean…. we had our essential road trip gear:
- Non- diet beverages
- Salty snack (Snyders Buffalo Pretzels… if you don’t know them, you should.)
- Sweet snack (home made cookies)
- And a pretty sick CD of some super fly jams.
We got to College Station and I was really excited to understand and see all that my sister wanted me to. Our first stop after meeting all the gals at the GPB house was to a memorial on the A&M campus. I won’t go into detail for fear of relaying something incorrectly, however I can briefly give a background. At A&M it is a tradition for there to be a large bonfire the night before the home football games. In 1999 the Corp (another A&M tradition) were burning the stack when it collapsed and took the lives of 12 proud students. The memorial dedicated to these students brought tears to my eyes. Especially the fact that one man laid under the stack and when the emergency crews tried to rescue him he yelled out “Help my buddies first” and directed the help to where other students were stuck under the burning debris. Such a selfless and Christian act by such a young man made me wonder “would I do the same?” It was quite a thought provoking memorial as well as a good insight to the “Aggie” personality.
 |
| one archway for each student that died... |
 |
| heart wrenching to read his last words... |
 |
| the entrance to the memorial... so true |
After our obligatory trip around the campus we joined up with some of Sarah’s friends and went to
dinner and out for the night. This area of town know as Northgate is just like Broad Ripple or Kirkwood, except Texas style. I made great friends with a beagle named Sophie that was just hanging out in the bar and for the first time in years… I had a fraternity pledge give me a ride home. THAT my friends made me realize (a) just how old I am; and (b) just how young my sister is. We also took a stroll down bottle cap lane which I must admit... pretty ingenious... why fill in an alley in between bars full of bottle caps? Also what else would a night out with the Walden sisters be without one of us getting yelled at by a cop at a stoplight… jack-bag move of the day, thank you very much.As 11 a.m. rolled around way too early the next morning Sarah took me to a tradition that was seemingly quite unfamiliar to me…going to a college football game…and actually attending the game…sober. At A&M things are so different! We went to the game where everyone carried in huge bottles of water (which Sarah swore were not filled with vodka, but I know some kids out there have to be rebels) they all did synchronized cheers (without cheerleaders because they don’t have them) their band dressed in military uniforms and does the same song every game but changes formations and patterns and almost every girl there had on cowboy boots with her A&M gear… crazy.
Now this may sound horrid to some people but I must say…it was AWESOME! The traditions they have are outstanding and never before have I seen such enthusiasm and respect at a college football game. We spent the rest of our day with the GPB girls and our mommy, having fun eating wings and ending our night with stories of success in a hotel bar.
The next morning I woke at 6 to make my flight back to Indy…which is another drama in itself, but just before my mom and I left our hotel room at College Station I had the worst 5 minutes of my entire trip. I sat solemnly on the end of the bed and stared at my baby sister sleeping and I realized just how hard it is to not be near the ones you love. So I did our tradition. Growing up whenever one of us was sad or upset or lonely we would climb in bed with each other and just hold on to the one person that keeps each of us stable. As I laid down next to my sister I couldn’t help myself, I started crying. This little girl that I helped raise now has a new life in Texas without me, she’s doing fine all on her own and she’s making her own traditions in this world and for that, I am so proud of her. But for this brief moment in time that I laid next to her, she opened her eyes, dried my tears and didn’t have to say a word but she did and all she said was Sissy don’t cry, I love you too.
All in all I had a great time in Texas the weather was amazing, my mom and sister’s friends were a blast and it made me realize that the two of them are starting traditions all their own in Texas, and I’m A-OK with that. Maybe it’s time I start something new of my own…
Gig 'em!
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