We are headed to Madison tomorrow to be part of the UW homecoming experience. The whole celebration is anchored by the Iowa football game. There is always pomp and ceremony that goes with a football team returning to friendly confines of their own stadium.
In high school, the homecoming usually revolves around the last home football. I remember 1957. Our football team was undefeated with one game left to play. If you were on the football team you got "preferred status" for the week. Every teacher had an opinion on the upcoming game.
There was always a homecoming parade down Mill Street past the City Club. I got to ride a float with lots of football players. As a player you are "amped up" because you are too young to know how stupid you look. We got to wave to all the crowds lining the street.
On Friday afternoon there was always a pep rally in the high school auditorium. Students put together some silly skit that involved members of the football team. I remember the homecoming rally because a popular song at that time was "What's behind the Green Door?". It was a catchy popular song. Sure enough, somebody mounted a door on a portable door frame and painted it green. The visiting team was coming to our town and they had to deal with what was behind the green door. Of course it was their worst nightmare. It was our football team. Yep, as a football player I had to run through the green door when it opened and say something macho (probably an utterance like "yo").
The football game was a formality. We won big and finished undefeated.
Then you would take your best girl to the homecoming dance hosted by all the football super-stars. My girl was the belle of the Ball.
I'm not sure why all this energy goes into the homecoming event. It doesn't matter. It focuses the whole student body on a single purpose. Even in those days that was unique.
So homecoming weekends bring back good memories. It is a tradition that seems to endure.
Bundle up. The cold weather continues.
Love,
Dad