It’s hard to believe but tomorrow will be the second year the first OU football game will some how happen without Chris and me there as part of The Pride. It’s really amazing the organization that’s over 100 years old has managed to survive without us. Last year, we were in Auburn for their first football game and honestly, it felt so strange to me to be there instead of Norman, OK. I was not a part of the band at Auburn so OU was my first opportunity to participate in something where I felt we were actually an integral part of the game day experience. Seriously, I yelled louder and cheered harder than I had in my entire life at the Sugar Bowl in 2003. Five years ago. I can’t even wrap my brain around that. I remember every minute of that season like it was yesterday.
All that to say, this week’s gratitude list is about all things we loved in Oklahoma. Don’t worry, I won’t focus entirely on Sooner Sports. It’s been a year since we left and I still miss it every day.
1. Sooner Sports – let’s just get this over with right off the bat. I love being a Sooner. No ifs, ands or buts about it. My heart is racing right now just thinking about being in that stadium watching the teams warm up and hearing the announcer say “It’s football time in Oklahoma!”
2. Sooner Operations – Chris (me too!) got a fantastic lesson in how a mulit-million dollar athletic program operates. Since he was the director of the women’s basketball pep band for 2 years, he got to go to all those meetings to discuss the flow of the game. Everything is timed and planned down to the minute and it takes hundreds of people to pull it off. I really never thought of all the details before but now I enjoy watching the people working the event almost as much as I like watching the game. Almost.
3. Sooner Spirit – There’s something about the people in Oklahoma. Not sure if it’s the bootstrap mentality or if it’s their desire to be better than the state of Texas. Regardless, they see a problem, find a solution and make it happen. They’ve built a stadium, an amazing downtown, turned a creek into a river and have sent millions to inner city schools. And now, there’s an NBA team headed their way. They have about a million people in the area, so not a large city by any means, but they are making it happen. Write a negative book about Okies, bomb their buildings, tell them they can’t have an NBA team – they’ll come out on top every time.
4. Our OK Family – We all know good friends are hard to find. You know, the friends that would be there for you no matter what the situation. We now have those. In abundance. Not only were our friends there to laugh with us, water our plants when we were gone, come over for cookouts or lend a hand with moving, they have prayed with us, worshipped with us, helped us grow spiritually and basically given us a home.
5. Period, the Lord led us there – That second car wreck in Brunswick? My first job at that small college? All distractions meant to take away from our purpose. My goodness, did we change while in Oklahoma! Chris learned so much not just about conducting but about teaching kids and how to reach every one of them. Or at least give it your all. I was challenged in every aspect through my job and in my friendships. I learned who I am and what kind of employee, friend and wife I can be. Our marriage grew in ways we could never have imagined. And that’s all apart from the blast we had as part of the OU family! Every time we turned around, we found another blessing to be grateful for.
So Boomer Sooner!!! I may not be Sooner born or Sooner bred but I will be a Sooner until I’m dead!!!!!!!
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