third year evan lasseter

“It ain’t all about the product, it’s about the process.” - FlyGuy2Stackz

If you haven't heard of FlyGuy2Stackz, you probably just know him by a different name and place. Perhaps, the last time you saw him he was pacing into the end zone untouched and securing the Bulldog’s first College Football playoff appearance by winning the Rose Bowl against Oklahoma. If you don’t know, now you know. The quote comes from UGA football legend Sony Michel, under his rap persona FlyGuy2Stackz. As dedicated Dawg fans and UGA students, who better to use as an example of how to approach our experiences?

In an era dominated by social media, the optics of our lives create a social pressure. There becomes an expectation of what social success looks like, and it often includes large numbers and spectacle. Our weekends aren’t worth our time if they're not accompanied with what our culture defines as social success. Let’s be clear, meaningful experiences can be the result of these types of nights, but they shouldn't be our standard. Again, it’s not about the product, but the process.

There is evidence to Michel’s testimony from both ends of the spectrum. Take Notre Dame vs UGA as an example. The game was an historic event for the football program and the city. In light of the moment, my friends and I planned our entire weekend around the football game. Friday was devoted to making signs for College Gameday, and Saturday was a marathon. From waking up at six a.m. to getting in line two hours before the gates opened the entire day pointed to one thing: the battle under the lights in Sanford Stadium. That Saturday night ended with Georgia securing the historic win late in the fourth quarter and Sanford Stadium erupting in peak form.

In that case, it is easy to see how such an emphasis on the spectacle is positive. However, that is not always the case. Just two weeks before the game, a close friend devoted a large amount of time and money to their 21st birthday party. Certainly everyone wants to celebrate the milestone in a special way, but the end game here wasn’t as pretty as UGA vs Notre Dame. The plans for the party fell flat and a majority of the friends, and friends of friends, left early while barely participating in the night's activities.

What do the two instances have in common? An emphasis on the event, the spectacle. The framing focuses on what is happening and not who it is happening with. Even as a die hard Dawg fan, what is the historic win without being with my favorite people? What is a 21st birthday if the right friends aren't there to make it meaningful? The value in life’s experiences come from the journey. Memories are made by the actors in the story, not the scene itself. This reflection is not meant to be taken as gospel, but as an invitation to frame our social successes on meaningful relationships. Because only that is eternal.

What I learned from FlyGuy2Stackz