A topic of conversation started via email last week as my husband copy and pasted someone’s work email signature and emailed it to me. So what is the topic of conversation in that? Well, it was from a recent Aggie graduate who on his work email account had something like this as his header:
Thanks and Gig ‘Em,
Name of Aggie
Class of ‘07
Great, that’s nice. But is it work appropriate? I think not in the private sector. If I worked at A&M, I would not think twice about it as I would be working for my Alma mater and promoting it. At work in a global company? Sean and I both agreed, not appropriate. Some of you are probably reading this and asking, how can she think that? Doesn’t she just love Texas A&M University and think it is the greatest thing ever? Well, to answer that question simply, the world does not revolve around Texas A&M University so it is easy to think it is not appropriate.
I will be the first to admit that I had a blast at A&M and truly had some of the best years of my life while I was there. I learned a lot, met some incredible people and I would give almost anything to go back and experience the joys of my freshman year of college again. It was amazing to me and while I was there, I fulfilled almost every dream that I could have dreamed about participating in student activities. My A&M resume is beyond impressive and I am extremely proud of it. But guess what? I’m not at A&M any longer. I grew out of it and needed to make my way in the world. And what I encountered in the real world is that non-Aggies do not exactly take the die-hard Aggie supporter well. Mostly, they just think we are cultish freaks. And to a certain degree they are correct. Why is it that the governor of Texas wears his Aggie Ring above of his wedding band on his wedding ring finger? Are you saying that you love your school just as much as your wife? I don’t remember the Bible saying cleave to your wife AND your university. This is just an example of what non-Aggies think and I can see where they are coming from in their thoughts. While proud that the university I choose to attend 12 years ago, is unique, traditional, and has strong values, I do not feel the need to shove it down other’s throats. And that includes my daughter and any other children I may have in the future.
Sean and I talked a lot about how we were going to raise our children before we ever had them. One of the many things that we decide was that we were not going to force TAMU upon our child or make them think that it is the only place to go and get an education. Being a child and teenager having grown up in BCS, I saw far too many people that I knew get told that by the parents. So much so that they did not want to have anything to do with the university and off they went to their respective schools. I do not want that for Elizabeth. Yes, she owns Aggie bibs, Aggie onesies, and even a little Aggie dress…and yes, she will own more one day and probably wear it—just not every day! One day when she is old enough to make the decisions on what she is wearing, that will be her call. You bet Sean and I have every intention of taking her to a football game, taking her on a walk around campus, and even to the Quad to watch step off to see what Daddy once did. However, I am not going to stand there and tell her that going to TAMU is what she needs to do. In fact, if she wants to major in anything remotely in the Liberal Arts field, I strongly encourage her to NOT go to A&M. But it will ultimately be her decision that she will make with Sean and I when we get there. I hope that Elizabeth will develop her own natural curiosity about A&M. And just maybe, one day, will ask what is that hunk of gold that both mom and dad wear and why it is so special to them. And then she will get an earful…
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