The 12th Man

In the nostalgia of Aggie Football beginning today, the first season in nearly 4 years I have ever had to witness from a distance, I began the scroll through old pictures, shed a few tears, and let my heart really really miss College Station, TX.

When I think of football, I think of the 12th Man, which at Texas A&M University means the 60,000+ student body that shows up to Kyle Field for games, stands in the burning sun or the chilly rain for the entirety of the game to simply, show up in support. They have names for those who leave early and celebrations for those who stay late.

The 12th Man doesn't end there. It is a unified group of people that know what it is to work hard, to give selflessly, to honor those who came before them. It is a community of people who believe in good works and are always willing to lend a helping hand. Aggieland is full of friendly greetings, new friends, and an opportunity to get a top-notch education.

Aggieland to me was a family who understood the exact season I was in and lived it alongside me.

Now that I sit to explain it, I can't. They told me going in that there was a "spirit, can ne'er be told" I didn't believe it until now. I miss the professors that knew my name and cared about my dreams. I miss the joy of running into Reveille on campus. I miss the sound of spurs on the sidewalk, the sound of Bugle Calls at games, and the sound of immense silence at Muster as names of lost are called for the year. I miss BBQ's that brought former students out, the pond hopping, the roots of tradition, and beauty of a brisk walk around campus at night.

I could go on and on for days at the ways being an Aggie has changed my life. I could tell you how my walk with Christ was enhanced by the sweetest ministries I got involved in there or how after football games we would have lost our voices from yelling so loudly. It was the place that I felt most myself and had more fun than ever. The only place I look back on now when I think of too hot Texas that I would truly consider living again.

Instead, I'll say this, "Aggieland is home" because it's true. I miss it today as football begins again and I'll miss it always.