Fightin' Texas Aggie Ring

Yesterday, I was judged for not having a ring on my finger.

We've all done it. Don't even try to tell me you haven't because I won't believe you. We've checked the ring finger. Maybe it's a cute guy (or a not so cute guy followed with a "who married HIM?!"), maybe it's a girl ("check out that rock!" but it's happened. You've tried to surreptitiously check to see if someone's ring finger has been claimed.

I'm sure it's happened to me before. I mean, I'm not totally heinous and creepy. But here, you don't just check the left hand, you check the right hand too. And sometimes you check that hand first. Why? For the Fightin' Texas Aggie Ring. I've posted about the FTA Ring before, so you know I don't have one. Last night, I got the hand check though and it was not subtle.

I was chatting with someone at a social event and she happened to ask me when I graduated from A&M. Not uncommon. That's how we ladies politely attempt to figure out someone's age. I, however, have not graduated from A&M. Ever. And when I said that, she said "Really?!" and proceeded to check out my ring finger. On my right hand, of course.

Nope. Not lying. There's no ring there. And you won't find a tan line from where a ring used to be. I just don't have a ring or a degree from Texas A&M. Although, I do have a few others.

This was the first time my right ring finger has felt empty. I've had ring envy for a while and, as some people know, I'm working my way towards getting one of those rings. But my hand needed to be weighed down by that telltale symbol of Aggie-ness last night and it wasn't. Sad, sad day. She did continue to talk to me though and she's very nice. I think sometimes people here can't understand why I'm here if I didn't graduate from here. Or have family here. Or have married into the Aggie Family. I guess it is kind of strange. Some people move to New York just to move to New York. Or Chicago or DC or other places. Here, you come to be an Aggie.