Important Lessons

When I was growing up, there was a period where our family lived in East Tennessee. While I still think Knoxville is a wonderful place and wish sometimes my kids had the outdoor advantages I did while in Knoxville, there was no question my parents struggled with the fact we weren't within the safe confines of the Old North State. In fact, I have memories of specific, organized trips to historic sites in North Carolina that were put in place to ensure my brother and I understood what it was to be a proper North Carolinian.

At the epicenter of this effort, of course, was Carolina. On some special trips to my grandparents' houses, which were located in Eastern North Carolina and no less than nine hours by car from our home in Knoxville, my daddy would pull the car off highway 54 for a drive through Chapel Hill. I remember checking out campus, peering at Kenan Stadium through chain link fence, and parking the family car into a gravel lot where Davis Library now sits. While the scenery was of course beautiful, what was memorable was my parents excitement at being back in Chapel Hill.

This weekend, Mark and I decided to take Will and Tate for a football game. While we didn't even attempt going to the game, we did spend a great deal of time wandering around the campus. For the record, the hand-holding pictures below melted more than a few hearts. 

And the lessons have begun...