Tarleton State University 09

A year ago October I overscheduled a couple of trips with some close friends. One trip was to New Mexico on a mule deer hunting trip and the other was supposed to be back to my alma mater Tarleton State University. I thought I was good with the dates, but wouldn’t you know it, I scheduled for the same weekend. If you know me you know it was an easy decision as to which trip I would be taking but as soon as I got back from NM I put down on my calendar the 2009 Tarleton Homecoming. This year, I made it back and had a blast. I know it’s strange and sounds like an older guy trying to relive his college days but the truth is I didn’t really have any college days while I was actually at college. There was concerts, friends, school clubs, BSM and such while I attended Tarleton but for the most part I was focused on my job (I was actually a Ranger while I was in college) and on graduating as quickly as possible. Looking back I really made some bad decisions and should not have been in such a hurry, but hindsight is 30/30, right? Yes, I was focused and extremely blessed to have a good job while I was in school to help pay for things but the college experience is more than sitting in class and making a point A to point B path to a degree. If there are any college kids reading this, make a note of that last bit.

Either way, it is what it is and the here and now is what’s important. In recent years while living and working in the metro-plex I have actually met lots of people from Tarleton. Most of these people are close friends and co-workers that were actually there when I was there. Our paths never crossed then but now I can see how timing is extremely important, God’s timing that is. No doubt I would have liked to have met these people while I was in school and do all the things you do with friends while in college but going back for this trip made me realize a few things.

1. The time I was at Tarleton was time well spent.

2. The money my college job provided me was really the only way I was able to get through without a huge debt, even if it did take away from my actual college experience AND that college job turned into a career I really enjoy.

3. I was much more immature in my college days; I didn’t need the free time. Enough said.

4. I’m blessed to have the resources and friends with resources to go back for a weekend, enjoy the festivities, and then leave when all the kids have to go back to class on Monday. HA!

Bonfire at the school farm

Purple Poo