Just Rambling

It was the fall of 1974. And although I was not the superstitious sort, I still found myself adopting the superstitions of my teammates. In fact, when I hear the song today, it immediately takes me back to our team.

We were 12-1. Playing for right to forever be called “state champions”. Because of our record, and the fact that we were the #1 seed in the state playoffs, we had won the right to play the championship game at home. Home for us was historic Jennings Field in Lanett, Alabama.

The school we would play came from Selma. They too were 12-1. The Meadowview Trojans featured a running back that was being highly recruited. We had no one being highly recruited. But we had a coach who drilled us as much off the field in the “skull room” about the Trojans, as he did on the practice field. We felt like we knew them as well as we knew ourselves. And we listened the song before the game. Surely that was enough.

I don’t really know why we adopted this song as our theme. Nor do I know why we felt like we had to hear it before leaving the locker room….as though it were some kind of hex we would put on the opposition if we listened or ourselves if we didn’t. But for us, the song really summed up our team. We had some very good athletes, but we had no outstanding athletes. We were just a bunch of rambling men.

“Ramblin’ Man” was released by the Allman Brothers Band on their “Brothers and Sisters” album in late 1973. It was based on a 1951 Hank Williams song by the same name. The song never reached number #1. It rose all the way to #2, but “Half-Breed” by Sonny and Cher kept it from being number 1. Today, “Ramblin’ Man” is still played on oldies stations. “Half-Breed” rarely is.

We should have known that choosing a song which would reach its pinnacle at #2 might be giving foreshadow. But we didn’t. Meadowview beat us in that game, and we, like the song, finished the season #2.

Why do I take you down that memory path? Because today I am a post-election Ramblin’ Man. Or at least my blog is.

Several people have emailed me wanting to know if I am going to blog about the election, etc. I will Ramble over a few points, but basically leave it alone. If you voted for Obama, you are very happy. If you voted for McCain, you are not. Yet, we are all still Americans (o.k., with the exception of one of my brother-in-laws and a couple of my sister-in-laws who are still citizens of the U.K.). So here’s my rambling:

First of all, congratulations Mr. Obama. You are our next president. As such I will respect the office you hold, and understand that your winning was historic.

Secondly, though it is really no one’s business….I have been asked and so I will tell you: I voted for John McCain. So you’ll have to pardon me if I don’t fully understand the new word I have come up with. And by the way, I plan to patent the word, as I can find nowhere online or otherwise this word.

Third: the word is “Oprahbamics”. I am not quite sure how to define my new word, but it is what I saw on T.V. coming from Chicago on Tuesday night. Though we were told they were celebrating an election victory, I think it was more than that. It was Oprahbamics. And yes, the word is a synthesis of Oprah and Obama. Mix the two together and you have Oprahbamics.

Fourth and finally from my ramblings. We have a new president-elect. And though he isn’t who I voted for, he is my president-elect as well. So in the spirit of reaching across the aisle, those of you who, like me, didn’t vote for the president-elect, have an obligation. We have an obligation to show the new president the same level and the same kind of respect and loyalty, that those who voted for Mr. Obama have shown our current president these last couple of years.

Just Ramblin’
WJLaneSR