Time’s up. Pencils down. My tenure as Cuffist has come to a very timely end.
I will miss y’all, but I promise I leave you in very competent hands.
So, now’s the time to be sappy about how much I loved this place and these folks.
And I did.
It’s very hard to comprehend what my experiences at The Reveille and LSU will mean when I leave, but I’ll try to put it simply and honestly.
When I came to LSU, I didn’t know a soul.
I didn’t know what I wanted to do or who I wanted to be.
Fortunately, I’;ve had some help figuring it all out.
A lot of people have become part of my family here — friends, coworkers, classmates, even professors.
Sometimes I couldn’t find the right words. They helped me.
Sometimes I couldn’t find the right path. They showed me the way.
Sometimes I was sad. We cried.
Sometimes I was happy. We laughed.
Sometimes I used the word douchebag too often. I was scolded.
We succeeded together.
We failed together.
We stayed up late.
We woke up early.
We worked.
We played.
We fell in love.
We broke up.
And through it all, we helped each other dust ourselves off and smile again.
I’ve learned.
About my craft.
About the world.
About myself.
I came here alone, and I’ll leave alone again.
But, this place never will be far from my heart.
And, I will miss it.
I’ll miss the student section on autumn Saturday nights.
I’ll miss the oaks and the arches.
I’ll miss walking around the quad and always finding someone I know.
I’ll miss the Hodges Hall basement.
I’ll miss hanging out of my car window over the Mississippi River bridge at sunset.
I’ll miss the bars.
I’ll miss the diners.
I’ll miss the food and I’ll miss the fun.
But, I’ll miss the people most.
And, when anyone asks, “Where are you from?”
I’ll say my hometown, and then I’ll say “Baton Rouge.”
Because this place is my home too.
I hope you’ve had as much fun as I have.
These years move quickly.
Use them well.
Grow.
Learn.
Laugh.
Love each other.
And, as long as you live, may your blood run true purple and your heart be solid gold.