A year ago, Ben and I attended the first game of the UNC football season. We hung out in the corner of the end zone, had a few beers, and watched the City Council be recognized before kickoff. I was in the middle of the campaign, and had no idea what the upcoming couple of months were about to bring. Fast-forward to last night, where I walked to midfield at halftime with my fellow city council members and had my name announced over the PA system. While we were waiting, I took a few minutes to reflect on how special the moment was. I could see the dorm that I arrived at in the fall of 1995 as a wide-eyed freshman. Right next door to that was Turner Hall, where I met Jennifer Gonzales for the first time. The memories of courting her, being on staff as RAs, the shooting in McCowen Hall, our graduations, and then several decades later, Andrew and Ari’s graduations. I recorded a video for mom and dad, acknowledging with a sense of humility and disbelief that their son was about to stroll to midfield of the first ever night game as a Councilman for the City of Greeley. I wish they could have been there, and I’m hopeful that maybe they somehow knew, and smiled down upon me. I’m grateful Jen was there, and wish the kids and their partners could have been there as well.
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