HINYG8
You never come back from Copperhead Road
How the time flies by!
It’s just a few months short of 4 years since I took my only child to OSU for student orientation.
It's also just a few days until he becomes a fellow alumnus.
His experience was, in so many ways, not like mine. Time and change indeed. As a student he never experienced a loss to that team up north. 4-0. A lot different from my days as Cooper and I shared our inaugural season. His time as an undergrad the team averaged 12 wins per season. Hell, they lost 6 times in his four years at the mother ship. Meanwhile, in 5 tries I didn't get a single win over TSUN (0-4-1). And of course we lost as many games in my freshman year as he lost during his entire undergrad tenure.
He rolled into town, fresh off the trilogy and the team didn't really miss a beat. He'll leave on a two year Big Ten champion streak. And fittingly, he and Urban leave their previous OSU responsibilities with a Rose Bowl win.
It's damn near perfect...and certainly Woody would approve.
His High Street and my High Street are different planets. Campus has been updated, changed, refreshed. The parts that haven't been touched look, like me, a bit older for the wear and tear of the years. Its all still *there*...but it has all changed.
But in many ways his experience was exactly like mine. Stressful, rewarding, exhausting and enriching. He has made some great friends, met a great gal. He loves it, but he’s ready for it to end. It’s time to get out of that grind and find a new challenge. He hung out at the Out R Inn. He ate Joy’s Chinese. He had too many self-inflicted all nighters. Had too many team projects with dead weight partners. He sang with TBDBITL. His favorite pond on earth is so awesome... we consider it a lake. Walked the oval a thousand times going to and from class, to study sessions, with friends on their way to a game, or on his way to High Street.
And despite all the success and wins: he knows it is about Carmen, no matter the result. And that isn't just about Saturdays in the fall.
Time and change. How firm thy friendship. True to friend and frank to foe. We will strive to keep thy name. That is a road map for life.
We had so many of the same experiences. We also had many different ones. But all of them, as a whole, are shared and celebrated. Even the tough ones. Because that is Carmen. Summer's heat or winter's cold.
OSU has been so very good to our family, and now specifically to him. Hard to believe it’s all over but the shouting. Classes and finals are done. Now he is just a couple of days and a short walk away from what will be the next chapter in his life. And I am already smiling as a consider what he may do next and perhaps just starting to consider the possibility of a future generation of Buckeyes yet to come to our family. Who knows? Time and change will tell!
Thanks Urban, my son had such a great experience every fall. You provided a lot of joy for him and all of us. Godspeed, be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Thanks son. Didn't think I could ever be prouder of you, but I know I will be when you officially join me as an alum of The Ohio State University. And then again as you start your life. ANd many times more over as you continue to grow, lead, and most of all be happy. It was not an easy path...but you worked, kept your head up, and soon it will be Carmen in victory or defeat… for life. No idea what you will do next, but whatever it may be: you'll be a Buckeye. And I hope you will be as happy in your life as I am in watching you live it. Be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Thanks Ohio State. For all of it. Be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Dear Alma Mater… OHIO!
It’s just a few months short of 4 years since I took my only child to OSU for student orientation.
It's also just a few days until he becomes a fellow alumnus.
His experience was, in so many ways, not like mine. Time and change indeed. As a student he never experienced a loss to that team up north. 4-0. A lot different from my days as Cooper and I shared our inaugural season. His time as an undergrad the team averaged 12 wins per season. Hell, they lost 6 times in his four years at the mother ship. Meanwhile, in 5 tries I didn't get a single win over TSUN (0-4-1). And of course we lost as many games in my freshman year as he lost during his entire undergrad tenure.
He rolled into town, fresh off the trilogy and the team didn't really miss a beat. He'll leave on a two year Big Ten champion streak. And fittingly, he and Urban leave their previous OSU responsibilities with a Rose Bowl win.
It's damn near perfect...and certainly Woody would approve.
His High Street and my High Street are different planets. Campus has been updated, changed, refreshed. The parts that haven't been touched look, like me, a bit older for the wear and tear of the years. Its all still *there*...but it has all changed.
But in many ways his experience was exactly like mine. Stressful, rewarding, exhausting and enriching. He has made some great friends, met a great gal. He loves it, but he’s ready for it to end. It’s time to get out of that grind and find a new challenge. He hung out at the Out R Inn. He ate Joy’s Chinese. He had too many self-inflicted all nighters. Had too many team projects with dead weight partners. He sang with TBDBITL. His favorite pond on earth is so awesome... we consider it a lake. Walked the oval a thousand times going to and from class, to study sessions, with friends on their way to a game, or on his way to High Street.
And despite all the success and wins: he knows it is about Carmen, no matter the result. And that isn't just about Saturdays in the fall.
Time and change. How firm thy friendship. True to friend and frank to foe. We will strive to keep thy name. That is a road map for life.
We had so many of the same experiences. We also had many different ones. But all of them, as a whole, are shared and celebrated. Even the tough ones. Because that is Carmen. Summer's heat or winter's cold.
OSU has been so very good to our family, and now specifically to him. Hard to believe it’s all over but the shouting. Classes and finals are done. Now he is just a couple of days and a short walk away from what will be the next chapter in his life. And I am already smiling as a consider what he may do next and perhaps just starting to consider the possibility of a future generation of Buckeyes yet to come to our family. Who knows? Time and change will tell!
Thanks Urban, my son had such a great experience every fall. You provided a lot of joy for him and all of us. Godspeed, be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Thanks son. Didn't think I could ever be prouder of you, but I know I will be when you officially join me as an alum of The Ohio State University. And then again as you start your life. ANd many times more over as you continue to grow, lead, and most of all be happy. It was not an easy path...but you worked, kept your head up, and soon it will be Carmen in victory or defeat… for life. No idea what you will do next, but whatever it may be: you'll be a Buckeye. And I hope you will be as happy in your life as I am in watching you live it. Be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Thanks Ohio State. For all of it. Be healthy and cherish what you have done.
Dear Alma Mater… OHIO!