I've
always dreamed big. But, as far back as I can remember, the one childhood
dream that remained constant through my years was that burning, insatiable
desire to become an Auburn student. On every opportunity Daddy would
deck me from head to toe in orange and blue and we would head to the Plains
for Auburn Football. I can still remember the wonderment with which
I gazed at the towering trees surrounding the turn of the century architecture
of the campus buildings. I remember how enormous the stadium looked
(even before the expansions of the eighties). I can still remember
the excitement that was Auburn to the child I left behind so many years
ago.
My
oldest dream came true for me when I walked onto the Auburn campus as a
sophomore in the fall of 1987. That first stroll I took across campus
was a magical moment. The crisp fall breeze awakened those childhood
feelings of the trips Daddy and I took so long ago. My starry-eyed
vision returned that morning as I passed between those old landmark buildings
in the midst of my new college peers. The fulfillment of a dream
is exhilarating at any age. At the age of nineteen, my life would
never be the same.
In
all my years up to that point, I thought I knew what Auburn was all about.
I thought I knew exactly what the Auburn experience would contain.
I knew Auburn was a special place, a place unlike any other on earth.
I knew Auburn football to the point of obsession. I knew everything
you could know about Auburn as a fan and an observer. In retrospect,
I knew nothing. Until the experience I couldn't comprehend what it
meant to be an "Auburn man." I couldn't possibly foresee the changes
that would be wrought in my life for having been in Auburn. Whatever
it was I thought I knew about Auburn beforehand was replaced with a glorious
experience that to this day is hard to describe.
There
is a uniqueness to Auburn that I've yet to see from any other institution.
Auburn is not just the excitement of a thrilling sports victory.
Auburn is not just an image on a fan's T-shirt or a championship banner
displayed in a stadium. Auburn is a mindset, a way of life.
It's about her people. And to be a member of her family is to endure
through all times. Auburn is about perseverance, sticking together
when all is not right. Our athletic teams may not win every contest.
We may not be recognized as the bastion for all programs. But we
will not turn on each other inwardly with harsh words and demands of self
gratification. Let the other schools have their accolades, their
banners, their arrogance. We'll take Auburn and love it.
For
me, Auburn is the place I became a man. Not just an older person,
but a man who realized who he was and what counted most in life: family,
friends and a deep faith in my creator. My years in Auburn turned
my life on a course that I will never stray from. And as the years
roll on, and I someday stroll across campus with my own children en route
to their first Auburn experience, my emotions will stir as the cool, crisp
autumn air brushes against my face and I fondly remember sweet Auburn,
the Loveliest Village on the Plains.
Letter
From David Housel (AU Athletic Director)