Down Through the Years: Football Season Starts

Down through the years we have seen the start of many football seasons. The point is not football itself, but the annual event, like the changing of the seasons, the coming of the holiday season, birthdays, and special family events. The point is a sense of history, a sense of the passage of time over the years---a feel for the flow of time.

This feel for the flow of time only comes with time itself. You have to reach a certain age and have a certain disposition to understand what I am talking about. At least by age 50 you have to feel it if ever you are going to feel it.

To understand what I am talking about, you have to want to see the big-picture in everything. Some of us are big- picture people: we learn best by first seeing the big picture, and then working our way down to the details. Our desire is to put everything into historical perspective. Not everyone is like this, but Fred Hudson is certainly like this.

Coach Ralph "Shug" Jordan was a big-picture, historical person, Auburn's head football coach from 1951 to 1975. He won a Purple Heart on Utah Beach in the Normandy invasion. He quoted Winston Churchill. He was an Auburn man from his first day as an Auburn undergraduate. He was an all-round man who went to the theatre, read books, and could converse easily with all people. He was, as we say, a well-rounded person. Football was important to Coach Jordan, his life's calling, but he placed football into the big picture: teaching young men how to succeed in life and reach their full potential.

At the start of every football season, I think of Coach Jordan, the greatest Auburn man who ever lived. He is the epitome of the Auburn way---discipline, hard work, accepting only what you've earned.

I wish he were here today. I wonder what he would think of Auburn today. I wish he were here because I'd like to talk to him: one big-picture person talking to another.

As this football season begins, I think about "The Coach," who was "The Man." I try and see the big picture and put everything in perspective. In myAuburn time, it's largely Shug's shadow. All Auburn people move in his giant shadow. May he always be our inspiration.

First Contact

For my first post on this blog, I - quite oddly, I think - have little to say. Life has been predominantly filled by teaching. I have 5 ninth grade English classes and an advisement class, or 150 or so students, which has been fun and a challenge. We have also opened a new school. Some things still require work - for example, we have no lockers and not enough books for the students. But, nonetheless, everyone is thrilled to be part of a new school.

With this being my first adult job, I feel older more so than ever. Indeed, on a radio show this week, the hosts were asking callers to list signs of getting older. I had a student tell me that she thought I am in my 40s; the entire class was surprised to learn I am 24. But, at any other moment besides teaching, I feel young. I am the youngest of the English faculty, for example, and still reminisce warmly about my university days just a few months ago. What a weird thing! It's some sort of temporal limbo; I don't know if I'm the old adult of my students' eyes or the young lad of my own senses, or what.

Commentary

A late afternoon thunderstorm rumbles across Central Alabama.
"We need the rain," is everyone's constant refrain.
And, indeed, we do need the rain.
It seems the rain usually avoids Pelham, but today is an exception. We get a good soaking.
The summer of '06 is fast leaving us.
Good riddance. I don't know about you, but I'm so sick of summer.
Summer is fleeting. It's time to move on.

Family News

We are proud to say that Freddy is established teaching high school English at South Paulding High in Paulding County, Georgia. He is teaching all 9th grade. This is a brand new state-of-the art high school in fast-growing Paulding County. They say the first year of teaching is the hardest. We'll see how it goes!

It's been hot in Alabama. What else is new? We can't wait for Fall, for the start of football season, for the weather to moderate.

Moyna was very busy this week preparing food for a get-together which Thomson does every year at Jefferson State CC. She always goes all out in preparing food for my meetings and company presentations.

Questions and comments are welcome!
You may email Fred and Moyna at fred.hudson@thomson.com
You may email Freddy at fhudson@paulding.k12.ga.us
I'm sure Freddy would like to hear from all of you.