Every year in November, thousands of people flock to Gainesville with one thing on their minds: Homecoming.
These people are republicans, democrats, future students and alumni, parents and children, politicians, lawyers, doctors, Christians, Jews, Catholics, Protestants, Muslims, Buddhists, the religious and nonreligious, black, white, Asian, Hispanic ... but they all find common ground for one short weekend - rallying around the Orange and Blue.
Over the weekend these Gators attend parades, banquets, parties, dinners, and of course the Football Game. More than 80,000 people pack into Ben Hill Griffin Stadium wearing full Gator paraphernalia, all thinking about the same thing - winning the game.
Have you ever stopped watching the action on the field long enough to absorb the immensity of the mass of people sitting in the stands ... thousands cheering, dancing, screaming, all for the football team on the field.
This game and others like it are the only time that so many different people are completely focused on the same goal, rallying for the same goal, feeling the bond of common desire.
Stop and think for a minute. Do 100,000 people get together consider the tragedy in Bosnia, the sufferings of the homeless, or the plight of our education system?
Is there a multi-million dollar industry which prints shirts, hats, foam fingers, jewelry, watches, linens, and other peraphernalia to address these kinds of serious issues?
Football games are undoubtedly fun and exciting, but its time we all stop and think - while we're sitting in the stands - about priorities. Think of the energy, money, and commitment involved in just one football game.
Wouldn't we live in a much different world if thousands of people discovered this kind of commitment and energy for serious issues?