Always Never the Same

We spent Valentine's Day, re-stomping old grounds at Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas. My husband attended school there, many moons ago, and my daughter and son-in-law are class of '02 -- Aggies forever.

A&M is rich in tradition, and the guardian of that tradition is the Corps of Cadets. Upon attaining Senior status, the Corps members can finally wear the famous "Senior boots" which traditionally have been hand-crafted by Holick's.

But the Holick's store is now --

Quite a change indeed! I hope the Holick's store has simply relocated, and has not disappeared entirely.

My son-in-law's apartment is now a law office,

conveniently located in North Gate, home of all the social venues which might result in a student's needing specialized legal advice:

But so much of A&M is still the same. The Century Oak still stands

and no visit to campus is complete without sitting under the Oak, watching a new generation of Aggies rushing to classes.

(Here's my Valentine, and favorite Aggie.)

Kyle Field keeps getting bigger to accommodate the ever-increasing number of Aggie football fans

and Miss Reveille, the University's mascot, still attends every game.

Members of the Corps of Cadets adopted the original Miss Reveille. Unwilling to break tradition even upon Miss Reveille's death, the Corps adopted another dog, named her Miss Reveille, and the spirit continues. In fact, the entrance to the statium is still guarded by long-gone Misses Reveille,

strategically laid to rest so that they can see the scoreboard!


We always enjoy visiting the campus, where so many of the students recognize our "Senior (citizen)/Visitor" status and say "Howdy!" Texas A&M University is a very special place. Surface changes will always occur, because the world hates stasis. But the Aggies' traditions, and the spirit of the school, will always be in place.