School is back in session and that means one thing. Football is just around the corner.

Now, preseason NFL has already begun, but pro-football has never been my thing. The reason is simple, SEC football is the greatest form of football. Don’t get me wrong; I am proud to be a Brookhaven High School alumna, and if it weren’t for my time on the sidelines for the Panthers, I wouldn’t enjoy football as much as I do.

But I still remember my first football game as a Mississippi State student. I was not in the student section. I was in the club level at Davis Wade. The club level is a magical place, where food weighs down tables and air conditioning is running on blast. Televisions on either end play the other big football games going on that weekend. The club-level seats are technically outside, but the suite-level balconies cast a nice shade over them.

As much as I would have loved to be one of the few given the opportunity to hold club level seats, that’s not what brought me up there the first three games. Instead I was one of the many student workers hired to ensure that the exclusive game day experience remained luxurious and relaxed.

In the middle of the season, I was moved to the suite level, where my position kept me in the quiet hall connecting the suites. For the majority of the game, I was removed from the excitement and stress of Bulldog football. The occasional spectator would step out to visit another suite or maybe take a break on the ramps outside. But that was all I got of football through my sophomore year.

When my junior year rolled around; I was done missing the close calls and clutch catches. I would finally get my time in the student section. Over the next three seasons, there were days so hot only the thrill of the game could shake off lethargy and nights so cold frantic yelling and cowbell ringing were the only things keeping me warm. From the easy defeat of the Memphis Tigers to the utter gut-wrenching finale resulting in a win over Ole Miss, my love for football grew.

There seems to be a certain idea that if you don’t know what an option is or can’t name the starting linebackers for your team, you’re not a real football fan. If you don’t know the ins and outs of the rulebook, you’re some how faking it. But just because you have a more intimate knowledge of the rules, it doesn’t mean you get more excited about a touchdown or more disappointed by a missed catch.

Besides, football is about bringing a group of people together. In college, it unites students, alumni and fans from all walks of life together into a battle cry. In high school, it can unite a whole community.

I remember in eighth grade when Ole Brook headed to the state championship and for a few hours, Brookhaven temporarily shifted to Jackson. The stadium was just a larger version King Field. That win wasn’t just experienced by the football players or the students or even the alumni. The win was an experience shared with all those on that side of the stadium.

There are rare times when congregations of people that large can all be in such harmony toward the same goal. Whether it’s hundreds or thousands of fans, football brings about a beautiful sense of unity. Football also brings out a sense of generosity as food is shared at tailgates and a sense of love as you can’t help but hug your neighbor after the touchdown pass is complete.

Football may not be life, but the game can teach lessons to better our world. What if we applied that same generosity and love we show to our fellow fans to each other in our daily life. Whether or not any problems were fixed, each of us would probably be just a little bit happier.

Julia V. Pendley is the lifestyles editor of The Daily Leader. You may email her at julia.pendley@dailyleader.com or mail a letter to her at Julia V. Pendley, Lifestyles Editor, P.O. Box 551, Brookhaven, MS 39602-0551.