High School Football. Marching Bands. One third of the attendees are involved in the game. Players, band, coaching, referees, concessions and a host of paid and volunteer positions. One third of the attendees are watching the game. And the final third are watching who is attending. Greeting friends with enthusiasm reserved for long lost loved ones who have not seen each other in at least four hours. Friday Night Lights in rural Georgia. Same game as played in half the stadiums on Friday Night in the state but vastly different from the big city. In Morgan County, it is THE event for Friday. Home games dominate the social schedule. Everyone is either related, a neighbor, a coworker of just about everybody on the home side of the field. My youngest daughter has purchased for me a season pass for every MOCO (Morgan County) home game. The pass entitles me to admittance in to the stadium and a reserved seat on the fifty yard line. Ninety miles forth with ninety miles back. Grandson played a good game and pretty much man handled his opponent on every play. Game started forty five minutes late due to “lightening within three miles” rule and was again stopped with ten minutes left in the first half for the same reason. We were now at nine thirty, Baby Merriam was cranky so I caught the baby bedtime bus back to the house with Son in Law, hopped in the Smart, set the sails for due West, caught a good wind and made it back to the house by eleven PM.
I miss her presence. We never talked very much on these long drives in the car. Just her presence was enough. Each day is a little easier, nights are not. No lyrics tonight.