My Life As A Hobby

I didn’t grow up in the country, but thank the Lord we had woods near my house.   Looking back on my childhood has lead me to believe, now more than ever, that children should always have woods to play in. It’s a time of exploration and discovery. A time to experience and appreciate nature. A time for young imaginations to flourish and develop.  Fortunately, our neighborhood had a couple of options for us to choose from. About a quarter mile away were “the big woods” - hundreds of forested acres with a large creek and huge limestone rocks to crawl on. However,  many times we opted for the “little woods” - a wooded lot in our subdivision.  It more than served the purpose for a bunch of kids caught up in building forts, hideouts, and blazing trails.  What a place. It was as if God had made it for us.  The lot was at least two acres square and thickly wooded with pines and hardwoods. The privet hedge, blackberry bushes, and honeysuckle underneath the trees...

  As I watched college football games this weekend, I couldn’t help but marvel at the students in the stands.  Their passion is the fuel that helps power college football - the greatest sport there is. In the student section, games are more than games - they’re personal, because it’s their school playing on the field. I know - I’ve been there, even though it was years ago. I’ve heard that nowadays it’s calmed down a bit, and I suppose that’s a good thing. However, when I was in school at Alabama, the student section was a cross between the Chicago Cubs Bleacher Bums and the infield at Talladega. When you add the exuberance of youth and cheap bourbon…well, you get the idea. I witnessed heated arguments or even fistfights because two people disagreed on something like a pass interference call.  Some of the things that went on in the student section were hilarious. I specifically recall an incident that occurred during an Iron Bowl at Legion Field. As was the c...