The Secret of the Rings….
Texas Aggie Class of 78 Ring
My Texas Aggie class ring is one of the most powerfully symbolic, revered and prized possessions that I own. Except for a notable three-month period when some low-life S-O-B stole my original class ring, it’s rare when it is not on my right hand. In speeches I give around the world I often speak about my Aggie Ring and how it’s been an eyewitness to world events and a key part of my success throughout my life.
Those Aggies reading this, will know what it means, but as I share with people during my lectures and speeches, putting the ring on my finger every morning completes the ritual that prepares me to have success that day. The symbolism of the ring comes to life.
My first class ring was blessed by Archbishop, Patrick Flores at his installation when he first became a bishop in El Paso in 1978. Coincidentally it was my very first news story right out of Texas A&M, as I started my career in journalism at KMOL television in San Antonio. He later blessed my second ring as Archbishop in the Alamo City.
My ring was also blessed by San Antonio Archbishop Francis J Furey (which I think has to be one of the coolest names for an archbishop ever) and later by Pope John Paul II. The diamond, in the shield, of the ring, was given to me by my wife, when we got engaged. And more recently, it’s been dipped in holy water at the Cathedral of Notre Dame in Paris, Hagia Sofia in Turkey, as well as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity in Jerusalem and Palestine.
It witnessed my being shot at 4 times and two police shootouts were I was caught in a crossfire. We have survived any number of natural disasters including one of the worst earthquakes in modern history. It has been touched by Kings, Queens, Presidents , drug addicts and hookers as I shook hands with them on various news assignments.
I happily took it off and transferred it from my left hand to my right to have my wife replace it with a wedding ring. I had it on when my twins were born, the night I won an EMMY and the day I gave the commencement speech at A and M…almost exactly 30 years to the day that I wore it for my own graduation at G Rollie White. .
My older brother is a Fighting Texas Aggie Class of 71. He wears a similar ring, the only difference being our class years, a 71 for him instead of a 78. I vividly recall the expression of pride,accomplishment and love I saw on my Mother’s and Dad’s faces when my older brother showed them his ring for the first time.
The same expression of joy repeated, when I showed them mine a few years later. The rings, in no small measure, belong to them as well as us because of their sacrifices so we could go to A and M. For my brother and me, our Aggie rings create another dimension to an already unbreakable bond that we share as brothers.
The last thing I have done almost every morning for more than 32 years is put on my Aggie ring, and check to make sure that the class year faces outward. In that split second, as I look at it, a small smirk of self-confidence crosses my face followed by a ‘bring it on’ inner attitude.
I earned that ring. I made the grades and earned my degree from a world class university. I met the challenges presented not just by the Corps of Cadets…but the still higher criteria set by my upperclassmen in the Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band. Many can proudly wear the Corps Shield, few earn the right to wear the shaved band lyre on the collar and the Maroon Block T Bugle Rank Flag insignia on the shoulders.
My ring represents strength, family, overcoming adversity, integrity and patriotism. It is much more than a piece of gold on my finger. It’s the tangible form of what is called the Aggie Spirit.
My personal actions each day are what make that symbolism of the Aggie Ring come alive, thrive and survive.
Now its time to tell you about the “Other Ring”.
Presidential Ring, International Brotherhood of Magicians
For the last year on my left hand, my wedding band has been replaced by another ring that I had specially designed and made when I became International President of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. My term is now over, and the ring will be put away except for very special occasions. But I wanted to share with those of you that are interested how the ring came into being and why, like my Aggie ring, it is rich with symbolism and responsibility.
Sections of what you are about to read have been taken with permission from The Linking Ring, the official magazine of the International Brotherhood of Magicians. They were part of my final column is International President and answered the many inquiries I had about the ring that I wore.
I had it made just before my term as International President to serve as a constant reminder of what I wanted to accomplish this year.
The glyph in middle is the rune used by the indigenous people of Chile to represent the magician or shaman. It represents, wisdom, intuition, and a connection with the cosmos to seek truth, justice, and knowledge.
The blue stone inside the backwards P is lapis azul, the national stone of Chile which represents brotherhood, peace, and harmony.The gylph is set in a combination of obsidian with flecks of pyrite, symbolizing self-control, strength, communication, and prosperity.
Every detail has a meaning
The ring itself is made of silver, which Chileans believe mirrors the soul and is a bridge between physical and astral planes that bind the world together. What is called “ La Pachamama”. The ring isn’t intended to offend anyone or supplant religious belief. It was simply an artistic and tangible reminder for me to stay the course during my term as the International President.
The ring was the first step of several philosophical principles that I wanted to be part of my year as President. The first is from a book called The Supreme Philosophy of Man: The Laws of Life by Alfred Montapert. “To accomplish great things, we must first dream, then visualize, then plan, believe, and act.”
The ring that I had made is no longer a token of what I hoped to accomplish, it has become a personal symbol of the power of magic, the universal nature of our craft, and the undying spirit of the International Brotherhood of Magicians.
A tale of two rings…both rich with magic and symbolism whose power can only be unlocked by same secret. The secret of the rings is that they are only representations of ideals until people make those ideals tangible.
