Two Sundays ago, my fortune cookie read; “You will experience something different this weekend.” I laughed when I read that strip of paper because I knew, without a doubt that it was going to be true; I was College Station bound on Friday. For an Arkansas girl this was a major trip; cheering on the Aggies for the weekend was definitely different and I wondered if I was going to be able to pull it off.
Visiting Texas A&M is an experience. I say “experience” because there is no other way to describe it. Before I left for College Station, I looked up and memorized the words to the A&M fight song, I bought a maroon shirt and I swore that I wouldn’t talk about Arkansas’ win over the Aggies earlier this year. I did all of this because I wanted to fit in; to be accepted as part of the group. All of my prep work paid off. I had a great time, felt welcomed and no one held my Arkansas allegiance against me. I’m officially declaring myself impressed by the Aggies.
I’ve always known about the traditions of Texas A&M, including their total disdain of the Texas Longhorns, the Corp of Cadets, the 12th Man, dates kissing after each A&M score and the precision marching of the band. Entering the world of Texas A&M, particularly the quad, home of the Corp of Cadets, is like entering a different world. How does one explain to an outsider Fish Spurs, chants and shouts, tall boots, creased and non-creased hats and the “Howdy?” The world of Texas A&M is so unique that if you aren’t Texas A&M bred, there is no way for you to understand. They even have a saying about it; “From the outside looking in, you can't understand it. From the inside looking out, you can't explain it."
But, the problem is this; I want to explain it. There is something special about Aggies that needs to be teased out. There is something in Aggie Land that the rest of us need to know, experience and embrace.
The explanation is two fold. I believe that in part, the following line from the “Spirit of Aggie Land” explains most of what it is: “We are the Aggies - the Aggies are we; True to each other as Aggies can be.” That one line is the explanation - there is an unquestionable self and group identity. Aggies know who they are and what they stand for and they hold true to that identity and that pride is immeasurable. However, the rest of the answer is about experience. Aggies aren’t just Aggies because of their university; they are Aggies because of how they experience the it. Some refer to it as brainwashing; but it seems to me that Aggies choose to experience life in such a way that it culminates in the belief that life is bigger than self.
As I watched alumni gather and rejoin ranks, friends visit, cadets do whatever it was they were doing and the 84,000+ fans at Kyle Field saw varsity’s horns off, I couldn’t help but wonder what our world be like if each of us possessed the unquestionable identity as God’s children and held true to the spirit of God; allowing ourselves to truly experience His love.
Hullabaloo, Caneck, Caneck
Copyright © 2010 Judith Bell
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