We all have days that stand out in our memory. Often they are red letter days such as engagements, weddings, deaths, or the birth of children. Sometimes they are memorable for other reasons. Saturday September 21, 1985 was certainly a memorable day for me. As memorable as it was, I didn't realize how much I forgot about the day until I recently looked back at my old journal.
Some of the time I was in college in the 1980s I wrote in my journal. I wish I had written more through the years. My journal entries typically were blow-by-blow accounts of the mundane details my day rather than delving into analysis or deep thought. Occasionally I did the latter, but the entry for Saturday September 21, 1985 was a typical narrative.
One of my best friends, Johnny, drove from Huntsville to visit me in Tuscaloosa. Johnny and I attended high school together and we have remained close friends through the ups and downs of life throughout the years, to this day. It was really cool getting to show him around campus at the University of Alabama and share some of the people and places I was experiencing. Johnny has been a lifelong Alabama fan and this was his first Alabama game to attend in person.
I had forgotten the fact we got to eat at Tutwiler and Paty Halls that day, that we met my former roommate who allowed us to visit my old dorm room at Palmer Hall, and that we had taken photographs. I wish I had those photographs. I cannot find any photos from that day and it is likely that Johnny lost his during the November 1989 Huntsville tornado.
I had forgotten the fact we got to eat at Tutwiler and Paty Halls that day, that we met my former roommate who allowed us to visit my old dorm room at Palmer Hall, and that we had taken photographs. I wish I had those photographs. I cannot find any photos from that day and it is likely that Johnny lost his during the November 1989 Huntsville tornado.
As fun as the day was the most significant part of the day was our late night discussion. Johnny and I discussed faith and religion from 11 pm until 2:30 a.m. At that time I was really searching for the truth about God and Johnny shared numerous ideas with me from Scripture that were the seeds of my emerging faith in Christ as my savior. In a few short months I accepted Christ into my life by faith for the first time.
It was a great day! My long term memory isn't usually as good as Johnny's. I wonder what his specific memories of that day include.
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