Hokie Memories
Instead of talking about the awful events that took place last year, I decided to talk a bit about my memories of being a Hokie.
As a Hokie and Blacksburg native, the events of last year really hit home for me. I was at work when a friend called and told me what had just happened. I called home to check on my folks to make sure they were OK. Thankfully they were. (It’s the oddest thing for something like this to thrust your little hometown and college into the world’s limelight.) Blacksburg had changed dramatically on that day.
The Blacksburg and Virginia Tech area were a great place to grow up. I went to grade school from K through 12 there in relative peace and tranquility. With a Mayberry like atmosphere of very little crime, but a highly educated and completely wired college town, I learned a lot about the world without traveling much. (It might come as a surprise to you, but Blacksburg was an early adopter of the Internet back in 1994.) With parents and friends involved with the university, I grew up as a Hokie well before I decided to get my computer degree from Va Tech.
After I graduated and went off into the world, whenever I told people where I was from and what college I went to, they hadn’t heard of it. (Unless it was of the high ranked ACC football team.) I was usually tarred with the epithet yokel, merely because I came from a small southern town. With people’s preconceived notions, I’d surprise them whenever I spoke without a southern drawl. I’d reply, “I was edumucated!” I owe a big thanks to my English teacher mom for my upbringing.
Even after I left town and the East Coast, I’m still connected to Blacksburg and Virginia Tech. Taking up residence across the country in California hasn’t changed this small town boy much. It’s sad to see something like this happen in my hometown and the community I grew up with. I imagine even with a tragedy like this, Blacksburg and the Hokies will stand strong together with the rest of the world, and we will prevail.
