Sweet Home Alabama

For my Fall Break Weekend I ended up in Alabama. Random right? I wanted to go some where so I could actually have some kind of a vacation. This was a very informational trip. It showed me some of the difference between how a northerner is raised and how people from the south are brought up. For example, southern schools often don't even offer soccer or lacrosse in their curriculums, but everybody sure knows how to play football.
Thursday evening a friend invited me to come to Decatur Alabama to watch a football game. He is a high school coach with a team that is now 8-0. I had no idea what I was getting into. The undefeated Red Raiders were playing the Hazel Green Trojans on enemy territory. As I pulled up to the field house I was already amazed at the size of the HIGH SCHOOL stadium. This was an away game, but the Decatur stands were full of ecstatic high schoolers and a huge marching band. I say huge, only because at my high school we didn't have a football team let alone a marching band. This was a scene right out of the movie "Friday Night Lights." Boys are raised on football here and it is a serious part of their lives. The whole damn town goes to every game and knows the stats of every player on the field and in the marching band.
I sat right behind the students of Decatur High school, which was a mistake. I got in the middle of a mosh pit and had to crawl out and up the bleachers for safety. To my right was the marching band and I was having flash backs from my days as a color guard when I had a 50/50 chance of catching the flag I threw. I honestly had an awesome time with the people in the stands and I was so proud to watch my friend on the side line coaching. :o)

Friday nights in the south are for High School football, but Saturdays are for college ball. I learned this weekend that I'm supposed to think the auburn Tigers are the best college team. Don't ask me anything else about them...Cause I'm still learning too. I spent ALL of Saturday watching college football. Alabama over ole Miss 13 to 10, USC defeated Notre Dame 34 to 31(which everyone I was with was really upset about), Florida State loses to Virginia 26 to 21, and Auburn was victorious over Arkansas 34 to 17. By the time football was over and the guys could leave their couches, I was ready to talk to a girl about make-up, nail polish, toothpaste or....God anything but Football!
Good news is, we hung out with some great people and I learned a few things from my southern friends.
1. You can say the meanest thing about someone, but if you add "bless her heart" after it, it's OK.
2. People in the south don't give two shits about NFL.
3. Southern men WILL NOT let you open a door.
4. There is a difference between southern people and country folks.
5. You should never wear open toed shoes to a bar in the south. I believe I have a broke middle toe due to the fact that gravity makes it hard for drunk men to hold a full bottle of beer.
I also just want to say how thankful I am that I met Tera and her sister Tiffany. They introduced me to Coach Freeman and they are the reason I had a fall break at all!