Headlines
John Cofield on Oxford – Ole Miss’ Timeless Charm
We take it for granted, yes we do. But we are reminded as we walk the Earth away from Ole Miss, that her beauty is rarely matched out here.
We call it home, and she calls all who have loved her home. This summer haze will clear and soon Ole Miss will be in the Grove once again. And our red and blue kids will jump and run and throw and catch and if you are lucky, you’ll recapture the thrill of your own Ole Miss childhood, if for only a glimpse.
And the warmth of your parents will be there with you too. Whether you are smiling at them there in their grandparenting years, or they are looking down proud of you in your parenting years, the spirit of your family’s name is there with y’all in the Grove when gathered in faith and fellowship for food, football and fun.
Old School Oxford walking up from the Depot onto campus and to Hemingway Stadium – Photo from the Hugh W. Shankle Collection, UM Libraries
And just when you thought it couldn’t get any better, you walk away from all that. You follow the steps of champions on their walk to the Vaught. You’re back again with these guys, your boys, who “hell yes, damn right!” hold a cool spot on your life. You’ve known the thrill of great SEC road wins, and the agony of a long ride back from Starkville together. You’ve had victory steaks in New Orleans and Nashville. And you’ve sorely grabbed a drive-thru bag getting the hell out of Tuscaloosa together. You’ve yelled late Saturday night drunken Hotty Toddies in Gainesville. Y’all have almost gotten in a fight outside Tiger Stadium, three or four times, but all survived. Their kids call you uncle and yours do them likewise. And if the Rebs go bowling after Christmas, it’s these Rebs you’ll be yelling late night New Year’s Hotty Toddies with, and then counting the days until next season.
Boure’ balcony overlooking the Square – Photo from Tom Freeland’s NMiss Commentor
Indeed, it does all add up to something more than pretty buildings, trees and flowers. It is something we cherish and do not take for granted. It is the spirit of the Ole Miss family. And we feel our best when the time comes for it to be renewed again. And we don’t have to lovingly look back to remember it either, we are aware of these special times, our special times, in real time. Into the Vaught we climb to watch our kids hit and run and throw and catch and if we’re lucky, we’ll carry sweet victory smiles away from this Ole Miss earth as we climb to a Square balcony table to toast our special time in real time.
John Cofield is a HottyToddy.com writer and one of Oxford’s leading folk historians. He is the son of renowned university photographer Jack Cofield. His grandfather, Col. J.R Cofield, was William Faulkner’s personal photographer and for decades was Ole Miss yearbook photographer. Cofield attended Ole Miss as well. Contact John at Johnbcofield@gmail.com.
| Sat, Aug 31 |  | vs Furman | W, 76-0 |
| Sat, Sep 7 |  | vs Middle Tennessee | W, 52-3 |
| Sat, Sep 14 |  | @ Wake Forest | W, 40-6 |
| Sat, Sep 21 |  | vs Georgia Southern | W, 52-13 |
| Sat, Sep 28 |  | vs Kentucky | L, 20-17 |
| Sat, Oct 5 |  | @ South Carolina | W, 27-3 |
| Sat, Oct 12 |  | vs LSU | L, 29-26 (2 OT) |
| Sat, Oct 26 |  | vs Oklahoma | W, 26-14 |
| Sat, Nov 2 |  | @ Arkansas | W, 63-35 |
| Sat, Nov 16 |  | vs Georgia | W, 28-10 |
| Sat, Nov 23 |  | @ Florida | L, 24-17 |
| Sat, Nov 30 |  | vs Mississippi State | W, 26-14 |
| Thu, Jan 2 |  | vs Duke (Gator Bowl) | 6:30 PM • ESPN |
rule huddleston
July 13, 2015 at 11:34 am
Sort of been apart of Layayette County since 1889, the year my maternal grandmother was born in Oxford. She relayed stories her mother told her about times Union soldiers would come through the Town. My sister and I attended Ole Miss in the fifties, sixties, and seventies and found “there was no place like thisn”. Our mom was a fraternity housemother for nearly twenty years, and my life’s journey still brings me back to Oxford and Ole Miss, on occasion. It always makes me smile and always makes me weep a bit as I depart. I doubt the concept of heaven, but do imagine angels in my midst, as I gaze upon this holy place.
John Cofield
July 13, 2015 at 12:08 pm
Rule, are you Louise’s?
Ruth Shipp Yarbrough
July 13, 2015 at 8:57 pm
When I read that your father was a photograph, it brought back good memories. In 1946, he made the picture that I used for an announcement that I would be married. I graduated from Ole Miss in May, married in November of 1946. God willing we will celebrate 69 years this coming November. My granddaughter has the picture and loves it. Maybe sometime I will scan and send it to your e-mail address. He was the best of the best. He knew the secret of how to make a work of art.
rule huddleston
July 14, 2015 at 3:18 pm
Yo John, I am Louise’s. I enjoy your writings about Oxford and Ole Miss, and wish you and yours the best. Keep up the good work.
Dragon
April 13, 2016 at 1:40 pm
Good point. I hadn’t thohugt about it quite that way. 🙂
http://www.blrimages.net/
April 28, 2016 at 7:51 pm
Io ho protestato fino alla nausea ma è stato inutile, e sì, dipende soprattutto da quello, i postini cambiano di continuo. Però io non pretendo che conoscano vita morte e miracoli della zona, mi basterebbe che la posta indirizzata al mio indirizzo arrivasse al mio indirizzo, e quella del palazzo accanto al palazzo accanto, non è così complicata come cosa…
http://www.sorethumbsblog.com/
April 28, 2016 at 8:13 pm
I am still praying for Kate. Chit and I waited for Kuya Dodong’s call because we thought we were going with him to the hospital yesterday. Jeff posted a while ago that Kate is breathing back now. This is heart wrenching. She just had a heap of share from Midge’s bday cake last Sunday…. God help us. I have no class on Wed maybe i’d go there…
http://www.rehabsandrentals.com/
May 12, 2016 at 8:25 pm
Jestli bych nÄ›co pÅ™ipsal na vrub původnÃmu muzikálu, pak jsou to vÄ›ci zmiňované pÅ™edevÅ¡Ãm v poslednÃm odstavci (náladová různorodost, vÄ›tÅ¡Ã odvázanost), které jsou do znaÄné mÃry ovlivnÄ›ny už napsanou hudbou (a tudÞ i strukturou).
http://www.lasmangist.com/
July 15, 2016 at 5:11 am
TYVM you’ve solved all my problems
http://autoinsuranceabc.dynddns.us/alabama_vehicle_registration.xml
July 20, 2016 at 9:22 am
Mon prono tient tjs: Fed n’a pas encore perdu un set .Pourtant, il s’est amusé à se laisser breaker volontairement dans les 2 derniers avant d’aligner les contre-breaks, étonnant…Pour Paulo, on s’y attendait, Youznhy est un bon cran au-dessus.( H2H = 6-1 pour le russe)Et pour le reste, un tour pour rien, aucune surprise malgré un match accroché pour Vénus.Et si Richard venait tout chambouler?… lol
http://w8url.com/b2datings.com
August 30, 2016 at 9:32 pm
PS. I forgot to mention that you are (now) listed in both Inks and Pencils for the awards, and got my vote in both, as seems fair. Politics can work both ways, clearly – lol! :->
kredit alg 2 schufa
November 3, 2016 at 5:41 am
jaja ueno mans :clap: q ueno q viene el mago yo soy detizmin e ire a ver al magoa lamega fiesta pagana …. par a ver como tocan jojoj q chido ….ya era hora una mega banda ahua…yeah ….
drivers license quotes
January 9, 2017 at 9:12 am
no tak, z tego co zrozumialem, jedyną opcja jest wlozenie Acekard do konsoli ze starszym oprogramowaniem. Niestety nie posiadam żadnego dostępu do innej konsoli. W takim razie czy istnieje mozliwosc zrobienia tej aktualizacji tylko za posrednictwem komputera oraz konsoli/karty pamieci? Jeśli nie to faktycznie będę musiał pewnie czekać na kolejne wydanie Akaio.