Willie Nelson sang it best:

On the road again
Just can't wait to get on the road again
The life I love is makin' music with my friends
And I can't wait to get on the road again

Good old Willie captured the spirit that filled our Prius as we drove away from Windsor Park on April 15, and headed for Penn State University, one of our very favorite haunts.

Although it was income tax day, neither of us was thinking about the tax man, filing or refunds. Nothing like that preoccupied our thoughts on this glorious day.

We were on vacation for two days, and we intended to make the most of this anomaly.

To make it clear from the outset, we love Penn State University. Whenever we get the chance, we visit friends like John Lucas and Bill Coleman who live and work there.

These men are giants in their respective fields. John is a preeminent Olympic historian, recognized all over the world.

Bill is a photographer extraordinaire who for the past generation has invested virtually all of his time and his energy earning the trust and capturing the images of his beloved Amish families.

On this beautiful April day, our destination was the Nittany Lion Inn and a rendezvous with John Lucas, Michael Harostock, Jr. and Ashley Caesar.

Ashley and Michael are students in the Penn State system. Both are very impressive undergraduates. Both will get their diplomas in about a month. Both are residents of Northeastern Pennsylvania.

Our group of five met in the lobby of the Nittany Lion Inn at 6 p.m. After handshakes and hugs, we walked to the dining room chatting away like teenagers on their first night away from home.

An impressive young woman named Brooke and a welcoming manager named Tina greeted us at the dining room entrance.

After we were seated, a charming young man with a smile as big as Beaver Stadium introduced himself.

Looking at John with that ever-present smile, he asked: “Did I hear that your name is Lucas? “

“Well yes,” John replied.

The smile grew even bigger as our waiter intoned, “My name is Lucas.”

Five astonished faces looked at the waiter as John spoke these words, “Well, that is very nice.”

We were off to a very good start. The energy was positive. The feeling was positive, the conversation was positive and Lucas, a Restaurant Management student who wants to be an actor, had just become a member of our group.

Lucas was simply magnificent in every thing he did. That included a heartfelt apology when he learned he forgot the coffee Professor Lucas ordered with dinner.

To be honest, Lucas was not the only one who forgot the coffee. We were so engaged in conversation about the Olympic movement and the gifts John brought for Ashley and Michael, it never occurred to us until we were about to order dessert.

It was three hours of supreme enjoyment, interesting thoughts, and discoveries about John’s graduate school days in California and his supporting roles with four Hollywood legends. That’s a story in itself, and we will write about that at another time.

The evening ended in the same way it began with hugs and handshakes. There was one discernable difference.

The five people who met earlier in the evening were virtual strangers. The five people who left the hotel were friends with a wonderful story to share with others.

You could see it in the eyes of Ashley and Michael. Their nervous apprehension had vanished. They left with a bounce in their step and a memory that would last a lifetime.

Early Wednesday morning Kitch and I were back in the dining room for breakfast. This time our minds were preoccupied with what would take place in Chambers 109.

Located within walking distance from the hotel, Chambers is one of the older buildings on the campus. On Monday, Wednesday and Friday, it is a home for 60 students who are learning about the Olympics from a master, John Lucas.

On this day they would learn about Herb Brooks and the 1980 U.S. Olympic Hockey Team.

One by one students entered the room. The first one was an impressive young woman who wanted to be a pharmaceutical salesperson or and adult trainer.

Another young woman from Philadelphia had a dream to become a lawyer.

I wish I could have spoken with every student, but I was a bit preoccupied with the technology for my presentation.

Thankfully, Dr. Mark Dyreson and his two children arrived in time to save the day. After a few minutes of experimentation, the laptop and the projector were talking to one another in a friendly way.

Then it happened. The first image of the PowerPoint presentation displayed the image to the entrance of the Herb Brooks Arena at Lake Placid with the word welcome.

The clock was ticking, and I felt the pressure to make the most of this opportunity.

My moment was at hand and just like the man I was in that room to honor, Coach Herb Brooks, I took a risk.

If truth be told, I did not sleep a lot the night before because I was thinking about a way to begin this class. I had an idea. I didn’t know if it would work, but I thought it could. If it did, it would make the morning.

With these words I crossed the bridge to uncertain waters: “I would like everyone to stand and close your eyes.”

The students rose without a complaint. Then I asked them to trust me and to do what I was about to ask.

I want you to recreate in your mind that marvelous moment at about 6 p.m. on that February day when a group of college kids beat the best hockey team on the planet.

They did and the exercise ended with 60 students recreating the sounds that filled the arena just after Mike Eurozine scored that famous goal, “USA, USA, USA.”

It was a wonderful moment. It was everything I thought it could be, and I could see the success in the smiles on the faces of the students who participated.

From there, it was a downhill race to get through the material efficiently and effectively.

When I talked about the history and culture with a few comparisons to recent events, they looked at me approvingly. When I talked about the philosophy of Coach Brooks and some similarities to Coach Joe Paterno, they smiled.

The were very attentive when I told them how much I admired Coach Paterno's clarion call about success with honor, and how similar I thought it was to Coach Brooks philosophy.

When we started to discuss the values of Coach Brooks, several students leaned forward in anticipation. Two young men to my right nodded approvingly, and I am told that the” Bumps in the Road” analogy had a powerful impact on one or two students in the back of the room.

As I looked into the eyes of these students forcing my mind to look beyond the obvious, I saw the future of America. What I saw was a bright picture because these young men and women were interested, serious-minded and engaged.

As I scanned the room intently, my eyes stopped momentarily on  a young man in the last row. It was a sentimental moment because his father saved my life giving me the opportuniy to experience this special classroom moment.

It felt wonderful to be a teacher again, if only for a few moments. It felt wonderful to be an American standing in the center of one of America’s great universities. It felt great to be a part, if only for a few moments, of one of Pennsylvania’s greatest treasures, Penn State University.

Then as quickly as it began, it was over and I was speaking the words that recorded the hopes and dreams I had for thousands of students I had taught before: “May good fortune always be your friend, and whatever bumps on the road of life you encounter, never give up. If ever I can be of help to you, please do not hesitate to call or write.”

It was over, but not before a few students asked,” What is your e-mail address?”

In the nervous energy and exhilaration that came with the ending, I forgot to put the slide with the address and websites on the screen.

As the students left the room, they shared approving smiles and three of them showed me the research papers they had written about Herb Brooks.

It was a moment I will never forget. It was a moment Kitch and I almost didn’t experience. It was a moment that taught me again the importance of gratitude.

It was a moment that proved beyond a shadow of a doubt that disappointment is the mother of opportunity.

Thank you Coach Brooks
Thank you Patti Brooks
Thank you Dan and Kelly Brooks
Thank you Ashley and Michael
Thank you Dr. Mark Dyreson
Thank you Students in one of the best classes I ever taught
Thank you John Lucas.
Thank you Dr. Michael Harostock and the members of your lifesaving team
Thank you Kitch

Herb Brooks was right:

"Great moments are born from great opportunities."

That's what we had on a beautiful spring day in Room 109 of Chambers with a group of students who made the most of an opportunity to learn.

It doesn't get an better than that.

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