There is one particular university that I root against and have done so for decades. I do not care if they are competing in a football game, bingo, leg wrestling, or horseshoes, I want them to lose …. badly. I will not mention the school by name because it may upset some of you, just know it’s not personal.

I honestly cannot see myself ever being a fan of this university or rooting for their athletic success. When they get beat, I like it. In saying that, even though I root against this university and will gladly pull for whomever or whatever is competing against them, I do not hate the people who support my arch enemy and cheer them on to victory.

I have good friends and family members who have attended this particular university, and I love them dearly. I don’t hate them for supporting their team, I just don’t want their team to win.

It does appear in today’s society; those lines can get blurred quickly. Although I can’t see myself supporting certain affiliations or voting a certain way, I do not hate the people who I don’t agree with. I may not understand why they support things I do not, but I have no right to hate them for it.

If I don’t agree with somebody and what they support, then maybe I’m wrong, but then again maybe I’m right. I just don’t see how hate fits into the equation. I do believe handling such a strong emotion/thought comes with age. When I was younger, there were a lot of people and things which I disagreed with and even hated. But as I’ve aged, I have learned that hating takes a lot of energy and only produces more hate. If not careful, one can become exactly what they hate.

I was flipping through some boxes a few days ago in my garage. My mother, whom I have written about in this column before, was a writer. I have stacks of her poetry and stories she had written over the years. I came across a piece of paper that was torn out of a ledger with some words scribbled on it in ink. I don’t know if she came up with it herself or saw it somewhere else, but it really struck me as good stuff to live by.

She wrote;

The greatest sin is fear.

The best day is today.

The biggest mistake is giving up.

The most expensive indulgent is hate.

The most dangerous person is a liar.

The most disagreeable person is a complainer.

The greatest puzzle is life.

The greatest mystery is death.

The greatest thought is God.

The greatest thing – bar none- in all the world is love.

The one that stood out to me the most was, the most expensive indulgence is hate. It is safe to say that love comes at a cost, but so does hate.

The word indulgence is an action word, a verb. One chooses to invest and indulge in hate.

I personally hate rudeness in people. Just like Captain Woodrow F. Call in Lonesome Dove, “I hate rude behavior in a man, I won’t tolerate it.”

I hate the behavior, not the people.

John Mellencamp is one of my favorite singers. He went by John Cougar early in his career. He was hosting a benefit concert for wounded soldiers on TV during the Iraq war in the early 2000’s. Mellencamp strongly opposed the war and made a comment that I thought was profound. He said, “I hate this war and don’t support it, but I love these soldiers and will support them.”

So, I will continue to root against this university. My “hatred” for them has nothing to do with the people – I love them all, I just hope the Longhorns lose.

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Todd Howey is a columnist for BrownwoodNews.com whose articles appear on Fridays. Email comments to [email protected].