If  there is one thing I’ve learned over the last few months, it’s that Southeastern Conference football and friends from rival schools don’t mix too well in my social media universe.  In fact, it’s causing my feelings about some people to change, specifically how I behave around them.

I’ve got a couple of really good friends that I don’t talk to, or a lot around anymore.  There have been so many things said on Facebook and Twitter that strike my heartstrings in such a way that I’ve lost the desire to communicate with them face-to-face.  I’m not talking about just from them.  I’ve done my fair share back to them, so it’s both of our faults.

I’ve blocked several people from my Twitter list, and I’ve closed off my Facebook status updates to countless people.  I’ve also trimmed my news feed back from seeing anything they have to say.  They’ve done the same to me, but I keep them as my “FB friends” instead of outright deleting to show them I’m not wanting to completely shut them out of my life.

I feel it’s a survival mode.  Not to save my life or theirs, but to try and salvage real life, real world friendships.  I couldn’t even look or talk to a couple of people in church today because it’s gotten so bad.

That is absolutely pathetic, and it’s bothering me that we’ve let status updates, tweets and football rivalries get in the way of being good friends.  There is so much more to life than this, but living in my state college football is practically a second religion.  It literally tears families and friends apart, and it has effectively started that trend in my own life.

What makes it so much worse for me is I graduated from one school and work for its chief rival.  I love both of these places dearly, and it absolutely tears me in half when I hear either side rip the other.

I know I’m making it all too personal for no good reason.  This rivalry was here long before me, and it will be here long after.  However, it’s making me miserable while I’m on this earth.  I love my alma mater, and I wouldn’t trade anything for my job and where I work.  I chose both these places, and they chose me.

I just wish I could sort out all these nasty feelings I’m getting toward people on either side.  It’s going to take a lot of prayer and time to heal these wounds.  This is not what I wanted my social media life to become.

I was born and raised in southeastern Alabama, speak without a Southern accent, have all my teeth (and zero cavities) and a well-paying job, live in a nice house and have a degree from the University of Alabama.

Wait … what?  You mean I’m not a redneck, and I went to Alabama?  That’s impossible!  All Alabama fans and graduates are toothless and uneducated rednecks!

It’s true, yet for many of my friends and co-workers, they love to throw the “Alabama redneck” title around.  I know many of them are not directing it toward me personally, but I have an unbelievable amount of school pride.  When they make these generalized comments, it angers me, no matter how much I love them.

The worst part is they either went to schools in the Southeastern Conference with just as many redneck fans, or they didn’t go to college at all.  Heck, I know of a few that never finished high school.

I am beyond excited that Alabama won the football national championship again a couple of days ago, but I also loathe a lot of the “fans” that are now bringing all this stereotypical venom down on us alums.  Too many fairweather people have cropped up lately.

I guess what I’m trying to say is, especially to my friends from rival schools (that perhaps actually like me), please consider all of your loved ones before you spew your hatred for my school.  I honestly try to do the same for you and yours.

Besides, my UA degree got me an awesome job at Auburn, and I love it. 

Ah, yes.  I hit the big “5″ this year, and I found myself at Coffee Springs Elementary School for the first time.  It was kindergarten, and I did not want to be there.  I remember pitching a fit my first day, but it was all better after I got to know the other kids.  I knew one or two of them already.

My teacher was Mrs. Yolanda Parker (no relation).  She was a very sweet lady, and I immediately took to her.  In fact, during the next couple of summers, she’d babysit me.  Anyhow …

Let me try to get the gears going … I remember The Letter People more than anything from kindergarten.  I also remember a sixth-grade girl that helped with our class, but not her name.  She had blonde hair, and I asked her if she was a boy because it was cut like a boy’s.  She got offended and never really spoke to me again.

Our classroom was between the main part of the school and the football field.  It was just a small, rectangular brick building with two rooms.  The school burned down a few years ago, although I’m not sure what remains.  I can’t remember the last time I was physically in Coffee Springs.

Anyhow, I always got a shorter nap time than everyone else because (and I’m not bragging) of my reading ability.  Mom always read to me, and I learned how to read early on.  After all the other kids went down for their naps, I would have a one-on-one reading session with Mrs. Parker.  I was reading on a first-grade level, so they fostered that.  After my reading lesson, I would lay on my mat and try to sleep.  I hardly ever did, but the teacher bribed us occasionally (the one treat I remember was a balloon with the Statue of Liberty on it).

I’m trying to remember the kids in my class (my yearbook is still at Mom’s house).  I remember Rodney, Velisha, Jennifer, Randy, Brandon, Cheryl, Tonisha, Jenora, Erik, Chad, Cristy … oh heck.  That’s all I can think of right now.  Randy, Chad, Brandon and Cheryl all became my “inner circle.”  Oh, yeah!  And Amanda.  She was my first little crush, but I think most of  the boys had one on her.

She was c-u-t-e.  A little brunette with a beautiful smile.  She’s probably the underlying reason my favorite hair color for a woman is brown.  Anyhow … I remember going to her birthday party and even talking to her on the phone from time-to-time.  It went nowhere because she transferred schools.  I think it was to Enterprise.

Lunch time was always fun.  I always had a can of Shasta Root Beer.  I can’t stand the stuff now.  Don’t know why.

The gymnasium was close to the lunchroom (not like anything was far away on that campus).  We were in the gym one day, and someone asked me if I knew how to tie a shoelace.  Ummm … sure.  I attempted it, at least.  I don’t know if they ever got the four knots out.

As you can tell, I’m just throwing random thoughts out.  I really need my yearbook.  I might add to this after I see Mom for Christmas.

For our graduation, we wore white caps and gowns with blue tassels.  We sang something, and I was so proud of that little diploma.  It wasn’t until after I got it on stage that I noticed it was blank.  I got very upset and stayed that way until they gave us the real thing later.  Hey, a boy is proud to know he excelled in his classes, and he wants proof!

I can’t really remember much more from my first year of school.  Like I said, I’ll add more if I something pops in there.  If you went to school with me there and remember something, please comment on this so I can add it.

First grade is next!  Back to 1980 …

I think I’ve been a little too open about my life on Facebook and Twitter.  I have alienated a lot of people with my political views, and a lot of people have alienated me with their venom and obscenities about my alma mater.

That’s the tough part of having friends who went to and/or cheer for the rival school.  I can’t stand seeing people on either side of the fence bash the other.  Unfortunately, I let it get to me because I do have a tremendous amount of love for both.

So, to fix this, I have shut down my tweets from the outside world (unless I approve you to see them), and I have shut out anyone who has anything bad to say about either school from my Facebook wall and status updates.  Even if you’re a close friend in real life, the moment you bash a school I went to/work for, you’re done.  I even block your updates from my news feed.  I feel that’s nicer than simply unfriending you (it lets you know I still like you in real life).

That’s not the only criteria.  I’m blocking a lot of Facebook access simply because too many people see too many things.  One of the reasons I got out of TV news is too many people knew who I was.  I honestly got tired of being recognized and wanted to slip back into obscurity.  Instead, I opened up for the world on those two platforms, and now it’s causing me to have ill feelings toward people I wouldn’t have in the first place.

If you want to see what’s going on (in a more controlled manner), then keep checking this blog.  I don’t update much, but I’ll be putting up only things I want everyone to see … which isn’t a lot.

Today our boy is a year old!  It seems just like yesterday we were bringing him into the world, watching and waiting to see if he’d pull through his heart condition and surgeries.

I vividly remember the sights and sounds of the NICU at UAB.  I remember scrubbing up and carefully manipulating the wires attached to him just to be able to touch and hold him.  We saw him for all of two minutes after he was born, then had to wait six hours to see him again.

He was the biggest baby in the NICU, but he was still tiny and had a hard road ahead.  I remember seeing him for the first time that December morning.  I cried so much looking down at him.  We prayed, and we stayed with him.  We loved on him as best we could.

Three days later he had his first heart cath.  Three weeks after that he had a shunt implanted above his heart.  Three weeks later, we brought him home.

Now the little man is eating us out of house and home, and he brings so much joy to our lives.  He’s a happy boy.  He smiles a lot, and he loves to flirt with the ladies.    That’s my boy!

He’ll have another heart cath in January, but they’re not expecting anything major.  In fact, during our cardiologist visit last month, his ventricle is growing nicely, and his oxygen levels are awesome!  We don’t know what’s next, but we know his doctor is very happy with his progress.

I haven’t updated the family photos page recently, but I hope to over the Christmas break.  If you’d like to read and remember with us, you can go back and start here.  There are more entries about him before that one, but that’s the entry after he was born.

Happy birthday, my precious David.  I love you so much, and I know God has so many wonderful things planned for you.  I’m so happy you’re mine.