GET some THERAPY

Aggie football. (heavy, heavy sigh). All of you Aggies out there...you know. You know about suffering, about struggle, failure, redemption, despair, and in the end, hope. You know about hope. These are the things we Aggies live with but it is the hope that keeps us going. So, this is me in 1995 during the Alamo Bowl, #19 Texas A&M vs. #14 Michigan. Sometime during the 4th quarter, Aggies leading 22-13 after Kyle Bryant's 5th field goal:

phone rings.

me (certain that it is Oxey, with whom I speak regularly during Aggie games): Hello.

caller (not Oxey): Are you watching?

me (wha...this isn't Oxey, this is Sean*): Not exactly.

caller: What do you mean, "not exactly"?

me: I'm listening.

caller: Huh?

me: I'm in bed. Under the covers. Really under the covers, over my head...under the covers. TV is on, and I'm listening.

caller: Listen to me. Get up, put on your glasses, and look at the tv. Do it. Right now.

me: I can't. I can't take it. I just can't take it.

caller: Yes, you can. Now get up.

me: (heavy, heavy sigh). Ok.

And I did. And despite Michigan scoring with 5 seconds left (Griese to Toomer), the Aggies held on to win, 22-20. And Sean stayed on the phone with me until the game was over. Talked me through it. That is friendship; that is Aggie love.

*Sean is the husband of one of my partners and, as you might have guessed, he is an Aggie. He also is a world class professional photographer. Check out his website: http://www.seanfitzgerald.com/.