Wednesday, May 8, 2024
Living in Texas is a privilege. It is exactly where I want to spend the rest of my life. I would not consider moving to another location, and in fact, if someone suggested moving somewhere else, I am certain I could not conjure up a place I would rather go.
I do enjoy traveling and love to visit places like the Monterey coast of California, feeling the energy and vibrancy of New York, and taking in the scenic beauty of the Ozarks. Those are all places to go and visit, not places I would choose to reside.
My heart tells me if I left Texas, I would miss the unique feeling of its people, its places, and its style. I would yearn to drop into Joe T Garcia’s or Mi Terra and experience some Tex-Mex cuisine. I would miss fresh gulf shrimp, Texas smoked meats, and unique Texas-style desserts like banana pudding, pecan pie, and peach cobbler.
There would be no place like Gruene Hall to drink a Shiner nor a bar called the Frosty Armadillo to consume a freshly made margarita.
I would miss diners located in out of the way places. The ones that serve a uniquely-Texas chicken fried steak, with beans slowly simmered and laced with a hint of jalapeno. A place where the biscuits are the size of an oilfield roughnecks’ fist, and where at a corner table each morning, a group of old men are slurping coffee while they gossip and discuss the news of the day.
I would disapprove of living in a place where a cowboy hat was seldom seen and where cowboy boots and rodeo were only an “attraction” which came to town once a year.
If I moved, my homesick mind would wander to images of live oak trees, the open plains, and the rolling hills. Wherever I were, the landscape would eventually grow tiresome and lose its luster because no matter its attributes, it would not be Texas.
No place else could surpass the excitement of a high school football game, Texas-sized homecoming mums, and the sense of community created by Friday night lights.
The sight of cattle grazing, an oilfield pump maintaining its never-ending rhythm, and the snow white of a cotton patch ready to be harvested, are not sights I wish to abandon.
Of all the places I have visited I have never seen women more attractive than those found in Texas, children who were more respectful to their elders, nor men who shook hands with more authority. No other location would be an improvement.
Perhaps most of all, I would miss passing people on the street, having them smile and say, “good morning” and knowing they mean it.
When the day comes and I retire, there will be many places I wish to visit. Yellowstone and Yosemite are on the list. There will be a trip to Maine during the fall to witness firsthand a New England autumn, a visit to the Smithsonian, and maybe one last trip to Europe. But I will always come back home to Texas. I will always be proud Texas is my home. I will never wash her imprint from my soul. If you are a Texan, you feel the same way.
Thought for the day: I may live in my own little world, but it is OK. It is my home, and they know me here.
Until next time…I will keep ridin’ the storm out.
sam@hcnews.com
