a burnt orange last
The 'lasts' that I've had to face so far as a high school senior have not had an effect on me. My last homecoming, my last first Younglife, and even my last year as being a camper have not made me feel as sentimental. This numb feeling was shattered when today I knew I was to experience my last UT football game in the stands along my parents.
Since the fifth grade (maybe, it's been so long I can't even remember) I have attended the UT football games as a proud longhorn alongside my parents. From these games I learned everything I would ever need to know about football, from the rule book, to tailgates, and even how to survive a frat party (when standing along side your parents). I've learned life lessons, from knowing when to back out, even if my lesson did come from leaving a freezing cold A&M game where the odds weren't in our favor, but I still learned that when the chances aren't high, there isn't much point in enduring the suffering. I also learned when to disown your parents, like when your dad is getting stares because he is more than just a little too involved in the game.
I learned that burnt orange is the only acceptable color to wear during the fall, and also many different words you can use in place of maroon (because that color isn't allowed in my house, but those burgundy shirts were fine). My wardrobe has always consisted of burnt orange, yet soon that may change. Now that I've applied to five other schools besides UT, there is a very high chance I won't be wearing burnt orange next year, it may be OU red or Baylor green.
If I don't end up at UT next year, I'll always have a little piece of it in my heart thanks to my parents. I'll remember the friendships I made because I was one of two people in my eighth grade class battling a bunch of aggies over who had the superior football team. I'll remember those amazing moments when I got to meet former UT football players, or the basketball head coach. The pictures from the games will never come down, and neither will my UT basketball posters.
I've lived a lifetime in DKR, from the very top of the stands, to being moved down to the bottom section (that was the greatest day ever, the first day we didn't have to hike the ramps to our seats anymore). I know my way around the UT campus better than I know my way around my own hometown. I'll always be a little mad that I only took the opportunity to go to two Red River Rivalries, and that my time in section 136 can't last longer. Whether next year I will be just a few sections away in the endzone of DKR, or if I end up sitting on the opposite end of the Cotton Bowl, my love for football, lessons from game day, and my memories will never fade.
