You Are Not Your Past: Lessons from Boomer Sooner

At the University of Oklahoma, few traditions are as instantly recognizable as the fight song Boomer Sooner. The melody sparks energy, pride, and a sense of shared identity. It unites thousands of voices in a single rhythm of momentum and hope.

But behind that familiar tune is a complicated history—one that, when examined honestly, offers a powerful lesson about healing, accountability, and change.

🎶 Boomer Sooner, Boomer Sooner… 🎶That familiar refrain carries more meaning than we often realize.

A Complicated Beginning

During the Oklahoma Land Runs of the late 1800s, settlers were meant to wait for an official signal before racing to claim land. Those who crossed early—starting sooner than allowed—were labeled “Sooners.” Many gained land through rule-breaking, deception, and exploitation, often at the direct expense of Native American tribes who were forcibly displaced.

This history is uncomfortable.And it should be.

It reflects injustice, inequality, and choices that caused real harm.

And yet, here we are.

Today, Boomer Sooner no longer represents cheating or exploitation. It has evolved into a symbol of perseverance, community, and shared identity. The song no longer celebrates how the story began—it reflects how the meaning has changed.

That transformation matters.

The Deeper Lesson

In counseling, one of the most common beliefs people carry is this:

• “My past defines me.”

• “I’ll always be the person who made those mistakes.”

• “What I did disqualifies me from something better.”

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But history itself tells a different story.

Just as a symbol rooted in wrongdoing can evolve into something unifying, people are capable of accountability, growth, and transformation. Change does not require pretending harm never happened. It requires acknowledging it—and choosing differently moving forward.

Growth is not the absence of a past.Growth is the courage to outgrow it.

You Are More Than Your Worst Chapter

Being not tied to your past does not mean denying it.It means refusing to let it be the final word.

At Change Pointe, we see this truth every day:

• You can own your story without being imprisoned by it.

• You can learn from harm without reliving it.

• You can become someone new without erasing where you started.

Recovery, healing, and personal growth are built on this foundation:

Who you were is not who you must always be.

Your past may explain you.It does not have to define you.

Moving Forward with Intention

As Boomer Sooner echoes through stadiums today, it reminds us of something larger than school spirit:

The past explains us. It does not define us forever.

Whether your history includes addiction, trauma, incarceration, broken relationships, or choices you wish you could undo, your future is not canceled.

Your journey continues.Your identity can evolve.

And your next chapter is still being written.

Because at Change Pointe, we believe:

Your Journey Starts Here.