Imagine if you will, lads from all walks of life. Farm towns, suburbia towns, big ole cities, this State, that State. All kindsa sizes - 5'6" to 6'6", a buck fifty to 300+. A mixture of football players, baseball players, swimmers, basketball players, soccer players, artists, musicians, with some regular ole regular guys thrown in. A mixture of economic backgrounds with the vast majority leaning toward 'work-study' jobs, grants, scholarships, ie, need.
Gathered for education, sport, women, fun, hi-jinks, and not necessarily always in that order. Crammed, 30+, into a ten bedroom home - and many of those bedrooms were actually partitioned chunks of the basement, or offshoots of an offshoot of a bedroom. Music, music of the 60's and 70's blared from room to room. It could be rough to find quiet to study, but if so, one just jumped in the car and headed for The Hill, the place where this education was to happen.
Theses guys were best exemplified by Wally Clever types - but the bean counters and marshal at arms of The Hill, from day 1, watched with one eyebrow furrowed, and from their notes taken, it was suggested the guys were more like Eddie Haskell.. with an Ernest T Bass and an Otis thrown in.
Do good. There was much do good by the guys. Not only on the athletic courts, fields, music rooms - but in academia in general - and the community, they did things for little kids. Cool things, charitable things.
But the beancounters were unrelenting. "I'm sorry sir, we have no idea how those 42 For Sale signs showed up in that one fraternity's yard.".... "The Sambos mat by the downstair's bathroom? Ahm, it's a gift from one of our alums who is the Director of Franchise Opportunities for Sambo's."
Over the course of four years (5, even 6 for some) these men gathered degrees (and or tons of knowledge) and either headed home or made the town of The Hill, home. Much happened in between.
Fellowship. A fellowship like you ain't never seen. I've got your back Jack. Brothers. Eternally united. Intramurals, skits, plays, floats, creative songs. They studied together. The guys shared rides across the land during Summers, weekends, Spring breaks. One Spring break, 27 of 'em drove 24 hours non-stop for fun and frivolity on Padre Island. Occasionally, they even partied together.
Basically, their time stuffed in that ten bedroom home, was the time of their life. They maybe didn't realize it at the time, but it was. Some grabbed a coed, made a home. All, eventually headed out to be positive role models in society. Ya had teachers, coaches, athletic directors, principals, superintendents, lawyers, judges, specialized trades, managers, supervisors, Vice Presidents, CEO's and more. Imagine that, Ernest T and Otis coming out like that in the wash.
What the bean-counting, marshal at arms were unaware of, these gents all abided by the creed of their fraternity.
To believe in the life of love. Love thy wife, child, family. To keep the sainted memory of our loved and lost, their faults forgotten, their virtues enshrined in our hearts forever. To try bravely to do unto our fellow man as they would undo to us.
To walk in the way of honor. To realize deeply the baseness of deceit, that no obligation will be more binding than our plighted word. Spurn the gifts of greed and power, to be content to live by our knightly vow of honor. Emulate the chivalrous deeds of courtesy, and sealing not our hearts against the touch of tenderness.
To serve in the light of truth. To seek in nature, the meaning of Infinite Truth. To believe in the melody of birds, the laughter of children, the unmeasured sacrifice of motherhood. The spirit of hope and faith which soothes the hurt of grief, heals the wound of wrong, and calms the fever of doubt.
One day each of those men that were crammed into that house walked out for the last time. As they passed The Hill one last time there was no urge to scorn the bean-counters or marshal at arms, moreso, a lust, a thirst, to go, life a life of love, walk in the way of honor, and serve in the light of truth.
Most would tell you, it was the time of their lives and certainly a wonderful preparation for life.
We lost a good one yesterday. He lived the life of love, he walked in the way of honor and he served in the light of truth. God Bless and RIP Sir - we loveya, always will.
(Please know, I love you all - but please no "I'm sorry for your loss," as it was the loss for all of us, thanks.)
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