In a Heartbeat Post 5

When Michael and Collins were ready to head to college, it seemed no surprise that they both chose to attend their parent's alma mater, Ole Miss. Both Collins and Michael were excited to head out on their own and begin the next phase of their lives, but there was no way they were going to go about it alone. Sean and Leigh Anne noted that on multiple occasions Collins was the one who got homesick and had to be cared for by Michael, when all through high school it had very much been the other way around. Along with continuing to spend most of their time together, their relationship began to break down racial walls that had been built up at Ole Miss for decades. In the deep south, it is no surprise that even now, race is not as accepted as in other parts of the country. However, Collins and Michael were not ones to stand with the crowd and found constant ways to maintain their sibling relationship, whether their friends approved or not. Lucky for them, those around them were always a little shocked at first, but were more than welcoming to both. Michael often ate lunch with Collins at her sorority house and the occasions often included some of the other football guys because Collins had developed relationships with them too. The racial blocks were going to be broken down with Michael's strong defensive-football mind and Collins' cheerleading and their peers were going to just have to deal with it. The maintaining of the relationship for me is a huge thing to recognize because it reinforces that Michael was not a house guest of the Touhy's even though he may have started out that way. Michael was a concrete part of the family, especially as a support system for his sister. Their adventure through college was not only more enjoyable together, but further strengthened the love and care they had for each other.