If you grew up in Alabama, you know the first question anyone ever asked you was "Auburn or Alabama?" To me, the correct answer was always Auburn. Being raised in a family that despised the words "Roll Tide," I made sure to steer clear from anyone who uttered the phrase. But as I grew older, the rivalry became less of a decider of my friends, and more of a friendly competition. And with my luck, I slowly fell for my now boyfriend, who just so happens to be a student at the University of Alabama.
Every time I tell someone new that I am in a relationship, I get the dreaded question, "Does he go to Auburn too?" Which I reply with, "He goes to Alabama... unfortunately." From here the conversation segues into numerous questions about what it's like to date my rival. Like, "What happens if you step on the seal?" or "What do y'all do during the Iron Bowl?" By now I have these answers memorized.
If I step on the seal I will probably end up marrying my now boyfriend (which wouldn't be a bad thing) since he isn't an "Auburn Man," but I won't graduate in four years (which I really want to do). So just to be safe, I will never step on the seal. In relation to the Iron Bowl, I just don't talk to him during the game. Unless Auburn is winning, then of course I am trash talking him and screaming "Bodda Getta" in his face. But dating your rival isn't always about the rivalry.
Since he attends the University of Alabama and I attend Auburn University, we try to visit each other frequently. Meaning I'm a regular guest on Bama's campus and he Auburn's. Although I feel like a foreigner when I am visiting him, and I am strictly advised to not wear any auburn gear, I still appreciate being on his campus. I get to walk around and observe other scholars, as well as visit my boyfriend's favorite buildings as he tells me the history behind them. When he comes to Auburn, our first stop together is always Toomer's, and from there I take him to Samford Hall, of course. We always end the day laying in our Eno watching the sky turn from blue to orange and blue.
Whether your boyfriend or girlfriend goes to Alabama or Auburn (or any rivaling university of yours for that matter), it is safe to say the relationship is still as good as any other. We may not talk to each other on that one day of the year, but on the other 364 we love each other unconditionally. If AJ McCarron and Katherine Webb can be a part of a "house divided," so can anyone.
