Just Stand Up and Yell when We Do!

Blog 66

“Just Stand Up and Yell when We Do!”

by

Vernon M. Herron

This blog 66 represents the third in a series of experiences about which I promised to write. Blog 64 was a childhood experience; blog 65 was an experience of my youth while blog 66 was a young adult experience. These three experiences represent aspiration, information and perspiration. Let us begin by setting the context stage.

This story is about two homeys, who during the Fall of 1947 went off to college, (Shaw University) to begin their post secondary educational pursuits with a maternal hug, kisses and a promise. Anonymity suggests the name of my school friend to be Ruth Green but the experience is true.

Ruth and I had much in common. We were neighbors; attended and graduated from the same high school; attended the same church; had a strong brother/sister relation and had common goals. Ruth’s mother, known in the community as “Miss Green” was the “bread winner” of her family as papa Green was an invalid. So was my mother the chief family supporter, as my father was deceased.

With limited funds and a bright future, off to college Ruth and I went, but not without maternal blessings and a promise of a visit soon. The two mothers had said, ”once you get to school and settled, we will come to visit you.” My! What a great incentive! No description is needed for parental hugs and kisses but the “promise” needs to be elucidated. College life was not in the experience of either parent. They had never been on a college campus, no experience in the classroom, chapel, dining room, a campus Inn, a Student Union, nor college sports.

There are two other factors in the “stage setting” that you need to know about. One factor is that three or four of our high school mates had gone on ahead of us to join the Shaw University National Championship Football Team. The football players were known as “The Mighty Eleven of ’47” and were the CIAA Football Champions of that year!

The other factor is that our mothers visited us at the time of our school’s Annual     Homecoming, when the football team would be contending for the CIAA National Championship. It was Ruth’s and my responsibility to give both mothers a “crash course” for a typical football game. Cramming was required at this time!

We explained the essentials of football in the follow manner:

            A football field.

            Goal-post zones.

            Yardage-footage.

            Penalty.

            Teams-dressed alike-running in opposite directions, like they are trying to

                     avoid “stepping in something.”

            Making a “touch-down” for points and a goal.

            Extra points.

            A victory and a Winner.

Yet, when the two mothers showed visible signs of incomprehension of this mass material and the inability to “cram,” we quickly thought of and suggested an easier way. Our proposal was, “just stand up and yell, ‘hoo-ray’ and ‘right-on’, when we do.” They did! They enjoyed the game, especially being on the winning side.

Leaving the stadium, we overheard conversation between the two mothers: they said, “the football game was a thriller and a diler.” “It was the first and only one I have attended.” “We did not know the game at first, but we learned fast.” “God is good to allow us to be here this day to see our children start their college life with a ‘bang.’” “It is our hope that they will succeed.”

Yes we were limited in resources but rich in parental love and support.

By the way, if you have never taken your parents or any senior citizen to a football game, I urge you to do so. Even though they may not know the game, tell them to stand up and yell when you do! They will enjoy it!