Surreal

Yesterday was one of the most surreal experiences I ever remember.

I have always been very intrigued by the first time an expected event takes place. By that I mean the first performance of a new song by a veteran artist, the unveiling of a new model year’s automobiles, the return of a friend who has moved away, and yes the first football game. I love to see the new wrinkles in a game day, the new unexpected haircut (or God forbid tattoo) that your returning friend has assumed, and the weirdnesses of the new vehicle which initially look ever so weird but eventually become normal. I like that sort of new environment in which the tried and true becomes simply true.

I wisely took a cab downtown yesterday to view the return of the Dawgs with 40 of my newfound closest friends, who were just as homesick as I was. We were in a nice little restaurant just off of Music Row, and had a room reserved for our little delegation of the Bulldog Nation. The nausea to which I had referred on the night before was my typical pre-game pang of nerves, and was not induced by any sort of imbibed substance. That nausea got worse as kick-off approached. As I banged my sandal-clad feet against the hardwood floor of the restaurant, no one looked at me like I was weird… they were doing the same thing.

When the opening shot of the broadcast appeared, the perfect sun of a virtually cloudless evening in the Classic City was more stunning than I ever remembered seeing it on television. I realized quickly that I was watching the game in high definition. The clarity was amazing, and the homesickness was exacerbated by the feeling that I was right there – almost.

As the new scoreboard and ribbon boards began their frantic flashing on screen for the first time, the new wrinkles became more apparent. As the band began playing Glory and the team continued to wait for the television officials to release them onto the field, I began screaming for the team to "go, go, now, go, go,” and realized that I was in no position to do anything. When the team finally entered and the new material of the uniforms became obvious, it was apparent that this was a new version of something very old and once completely familiar.

This was very uncomfortable for the next several minutes. This changed a bit as we intercepted the opponent’s opening pass. It became more ok as we scored our first touchdown, and even more acceptable when we intercepted the opponent’s second pass and scored our second touchdown. I gradually settled into the new order of my little corner of the world, and decided that it was finally time to accept the greatest tradition of all: “Things change.”

Nevertheless, I don’t look forward to watching another game there for a while. I can’t wait to get back home next week and enjoy the company of my best friends and the surroundings of a place that I hope always feels like home, in spite of the fact that it too will change. And when I do, I hope you like my new haircut and tattoo.