It’s amazing the power that music has to bring back vivid memories, isn’t it?
One day recently, I was driving into work and a song came on that took me back to my childhood days of attending a few Auburn University football games each year. Those were great times and undoubtedly played a huge role in where I’m at today, in terms of my interests and passions.
Hearing just a small portion of a song takes me back to sitting in the stands at Jordan-Hare Stadium in 2004, watching the Auburn University Marching Band take the field pregame. Getting to be a part of the energy in that stadium and recognize the pageantry involved is something that, to this day, gives me chills.
It also brings back highlights (and some lowlights) of quite a few games over the years. That 2004 undefeated team. The 2006 win over Florida. The 2013 Iron Bowl (yes, that one). A short snippet of a song took me on a long trip down memory lane.
I wish I could get back to Jordan-Hare a little more often than I do. The on-field product has been a little lackluster over the last few years, but that is far from the only thing that turned those day trips into lasting memories.
As we enter November, there are just so many good things going on. High school football is entering the playoffs. The college football season is getting better by the week. Basketball at all levels is about to begin. The holidays are right around the corner.
The list goes on and on.
I can’t wait to see how it all unfolds. Will one of our local high school football teams reach the state championship, like Mountain Brook last fall? Which teams will make the College Football Playoffs? For Alabama and Auburn football fans who may be saddened by the reality if their team doesn’t make the playoffs, well, basketball season is a point of pride now.
It’s going to be a fun ride. I don’t know how we always manage to keep up with everything going on, but just remember, some of the music you listen to this season may be what you stumble upon 10 years from now.
And it will bring you back to these moments. Hopefully they will be positive memories.
Kyle Parmley is the sports editor at Starnes Media.
