Well. It’s been a few weeks since the November 2016 elections and I guess I’m recovering from a sort of “post traumatic shock.” Political policies come and go, so that really doesn’t affect me much. But I’m having difficulties reconciling the motives and moral/character issues of the new commander-in-chief. My parents taught me to play by the rules and always to “color within the lines.” I likewise taught my boys to do the same. Now we have an individual who has succeeded to the highest office in the land while bragging about how he circumvented the rules. Furthermore, he even publicly boasted that his disrespect of the rules made him “smart.” Wow. So now I’m left to wonder if I inadvertently raised my boys to be patsies to those who openly flaunt the rules others live by. Wait a minute. Have I been a patsy all these years because of the values of my parents which emphasized religious morality and treating others with respect?
The circus surrounding the UT football program seemingly came to a close with the firing of Charlie Strong and the hiring of Tom Herman. As has been often stated over the past few months, Strong didn’t receive a fair shake in Austin. When a leading booster opposes your hiring from day one I wouldn’t advise buying a home. It’d be better to rent. So here comes the new flavor-of-the-month coach in the form of Herman. His success on the field is undeniable and I feel sure his tenure in Austin will yield many 10-win seasons. Still, Charlie Strong deserved better.
As 2016 rapidly approaches its end, I find myself feeling a little nostalgic these days. My sons turned 21 a few weeks ago. It seems as though it was yesterday that there were strapped into the backseat of my SUV in their booster chairs as I motored along the HOV lane to drop them off at daycare and go next door to my office at Texas Southern. Alex would holler from the back seat what music he wanted to hear while Bryce would invariably start sneezing and blowing snot all over my back seat. Then the day came when they started kindergarten and the bus came around the corner on the first day of school. Ms. Joyce (their school bus driver for the next 10 years) opened the door, smiled at them and said, “I’ve been waiting to pick you two up for years!” I was waiting for her to pick them up as well. In fact, I danced in the driveway for a minute then proceeded to work in an empty car. Hmm. Lately, I’m missing the sound of allergy induced sneezing from the backseat.
Happy Holidays.