You know you’re old when you have to borrow your three-year-old son’s laptop to blog. The keys are small, but it gets better wifi reception than my laptop would, plays mp3s better, runs linux, and he’s sleeping anyhow. We just arrived in Tulsa, Oklahoma tonight, and we’re staying at the house of Grady J. Walker – my college literature professor, mentor, dear friend, and the man my son is named after. Little Grady is excited to be here, and all the way up kept asking, “When will I get to see my Grady Walker?” It was a fun trip – our first father/son road trip together, as Amy opted to stay in Frisco with Abby.
In addition to bringing the two Gradys together, we’re here for homecoming weekend at Oral Roberts University, my alma mater. I know, I know, homecoming is supposed to be in the fall (I always have to explain this) unless of course, your college doesn’t have a football team. We have a homecoming basketball game. Weird, I know, but probably not the strangest thing about ORU by far.
Actually, ORU has been in the news a lot lately, and I’ve even blogged about some of that a few times. In a nutshell, the chief nut, Richard Roberts (Oral’s son) resigned the presidency a few months ago amidst pending lawsuits and allegations of excessive, innappropriate spending. Other nuts on the board of regents resigned too. Then, a very wealthy man named Mart Green (the guy behind the movie “End of the Spear” steps in and offers to bail ORU out of its 60 million dollar debt (racked up by Oral and Richard). Mart Green is now the chairman of the board of trustees of ORU. I know that sounds a little fishy, but at this point I’m wiling to give him the benefit of the doubt. From my experiences as student body president my last year at ORU, I lost all respect for the Roberts family, so I’m excited about the possibilities surrounding ORU for the first time in a long time. In part, it’s why I’m here.
Oh, and this also happens to be my ten year reunion. That’s kind of wierd, too. Reunions are just plain awkward. Especially here. And now. For me. Ah, well…to quote the bard:
Once more, into the breach, dear friends, once more;
Or close the wall up with our English dead.
In peace there’s nothing so becomes a man
As modest stillness and humility: