The photo above was taken 40 years ago, if memory serves. That is me in the huddle on the far right. I was wearing that same shirt in my 4th grade class picture that was taken in 1977. We were in the yard at my Uncle Bob and Aunt Nell’s house. This is where the Thanksgiving Hines Family Reunion was held. My mother, Tressie Hines Johnson, is the youngest of ten sisters. She had seven brothers. These reunions are cherished times. We would get together, try to remember everyone (I have more cousins than I know), and eat and laugh and tell stories. Many of us, during halftime of the Lions-Bears game, would go out to the yard and split two teams and play touch football. It was so much fun.
We drove to Mississippi from Indiana to these reunions. My parents moved to Indiana in late summer of 1967. I was born the following March. We were the only “Yankees” there then. They loved us anyway.
This many years on the one regret I have always had about living so far away from these folks is that I never got to spend any quality time and get to know any of my cousins very well. I knew a few better than most and could hold forth when the opportunity presented itself. We had football in common. We had music in common. We a large family to discuss and enjoy. Still, there was never a connection past a few fleeting moments that were so precious.
Whilst I have never spent a great deal of time engaging in social media over the years past posting here the last three-plus years, I am glad that one particular cousin, Darrell, and I have emailed and texted with one another now and again and that has been pleasant. It is good to hear from a cousin. I am as guilty as any I suppose. I have not reached out to them myself. We are all so busy and at times too busy for our own good. Henry David Thoreau would attest to that. Still, I look at this photo above and think about my cousin Darrell playing quarterback and rolling out to his right and hitting me with a dart between the flower bed in front of the house and large pine tree in the yard. That was my Thanksgiving in 1977 and I am still very very Thankful!
This is Thanksgiving today. I am not in a huddle this morning. I am at the kitchen table behind a three pronged crockpot and a cup of coffee. In a few hours our house will be filled with more familiar laughter and the Lions and the Vikings are going to be playing football.
On to the College Football picks Week #13.
The picks record after 12 stands at 100 winners and 44 losers. Iowa has not been kind to me this year. Neither has Minnesota. Nor have the Ole Miss Rebels. And me, well, I have made some bone-head picks out of spite for sure. This week will be no different.
TONIGHT:
Ole Miss will beat State…And with any luck Dan Mullen will call the moving van.
FRIDAY:
Miami beats Pitt…The Hurricanes are blowing strong…for now.
Iowa beats Nebraska…The worse thing about college football this year is that Nebraska doesn’t make any team nervous.
Virginia Tech beats Virginia…The Hokies should win by 17.
SATURDAY:
Georgia beats Ga. Tech…Lewis Grizzard will smile down old Silver Britches.
Indiana beats Purdue…I know. The game is at Purdue. But…last week in Memorial Stadium, the safest place in America, the Indiana Football Hoosiers were like “The Ship That Found Itself”….if you know that story. They put all of their pieces together in a windy Memorial Stadium.
A few pictures from last week…
THE WINDIEST GAME I HAVE EVER BEEN TO.
If the Hoosiers wore these uniforms every week…they will get to the Rose Bowl quicker and I want to be there!
The Marching Hundred…
The opening kickoff in the safest place in America!
This is not a bad team and they are getting better. Look out next year. I keep telling folks to remember that Coach Bill Mallory was 4-18 in his first two years. The Hoosiers could be 6-6 Saturday with a win over the Boilermakers. That is progress.
Louisville beats Kentucky…Last year’s loss is motivation for Cards. Look for Lamar Jackson to set a record or two in his Bluegrass farewell.
Ohio State beats Michigan…J.T. Barrett may look like he just got up from a nap…but it is some good sleep.
Duke beats Wake Forest….as I type fast cos I am running out of battery Duke need this for 6 wins.
Alabama beats Auburn…Jalen Hurts will finally get the Heisman attention and it won’t be too late…Tide rolls like no one will expect.
NC State beats UNC…Wolkfpack looks forward to more football while UNC is shooting hoops.
Penn State beats Maryland….Nuff said.
Michigan State beats Rutgers….
Tennessee beats Vandy
LSU beats Texas A&M
Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!
Speaking the Rights…
Danny Johnson