Texas has been an amazing place to live for the past 23 years. Although I never learned to two step and still prefer flip flops and shorts to boots and jeans I feel that most of my Texas friends accepted me or at least were amused by my non-Texas ways. Over the years I've come to love and appreciate so much about this amazing and really large state.
I'd like to share a list that is in somewhat of an order of things I love about Texas and then I'm going to go out on a limb and list a few things that I could do without. The "things I could do without" come at great risk to my personal safety because all native Texans think the state is perfect and most of them are carrying a weapon (which makes my "things I'll miss list). So here we go.................
Things I'll miss about Texas
The Stars at Night are Big and Bright! Living somewhat out in the country the Texas sky at night can be absolutely amazing. Going out to get the paper in the morning or standing in the back yard watering the grass (guys, you know what I mean) often led to a strained neck from looking up at the stars and a headache while pondering the vastness of the universe and beyond.
Texas High School Football! It's a spectacle worth seeing and I can break it down into three of my favorite things:
Homecoming Mums You know everything is bigger in Texas and Homecoming Mums have taken on a life of their own when it comes to being obnoxiously over the top. They weigh twice as much as the kids wearing them, have bells, whistles, rattles, light up and cost about as much as a new Buick.
If you have never been to a high school homecoming game in Texas check them out:
http://jezebel.com/5965232/inside-the-weird-texas-tradition-of-enormous-homecoming-corsages/
Pretty darn amazing aren't they!
The Playoffs! Unbelievable atmosphere and crowds. Southlake Carroll and Euless Trinity at the old Cowboy stadium. Over 58,000 people for a high school game. The crowd was so large that thousands of people never made it in and one of the bands didn't get to the game until the second half.
Six Man Football! This is legendary stuff in Texas. Towns so small they can't field an 11 man team. It's fast and furious. I was introduced to it by 3 of the greatest Texans I know; Craig Kerr, Lee Ray Davis and Jim Perkey. I had the honor of going to a couple of games with two of the Elder Statesman of Six Man Football, Craigs dad Nick and Bob Spurlin. As much fun as the games were, the rides to these small towns were always filled with great conversation and usually some good bar b q (more on bar b q coming up). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8OteOvhsrCo
Springtime! Texas has been described as having two seasons, cold and brown and hot and brown. In between there is actually a magnificent time of the year when things are green and the wildflowers are out. Everyone loves spring, too bad it comes and goes so fast.
Bar B Q and Tex Mex! It's the real deal. So much cholesterol and so little time. Beth and I actually did a bar b q tour one weekend to some of the iconic places in the Austin area which was amazing. There is so much good stuff everywhere but if you pressed me I'd probably go with Railhead or Pecan Lodge for bar b q and Fresco's or Joe T's for Tex Mex. Everyone has their own opinion and Texans please feel free to leave a comment on your favorite.
Fort Worth! The difference between Fort Worth and Dallas is that Dallas is located next to a great city. Fort Worth has a bit of it all. Cowboys, culture, food and fun. So much to do we rarely made it to Dallas for anything other than a Mavericks or Stars game.
The Dallas Cowboys! I'm not a fan but man do their fans make listening to sports radio fun. Win a game and they're going to the Super Bowl. Lose a game and the world as we know it is coming to an end. Jerry Jones is a nut, but he sure is entertaining, just stick a microphone in front of him and enjoy.
Weapons! I've never owned a gun and I know this whole gun debate is very emotional. What I do know is that if you're in a crowd in Texas and some idiot decides to pull a gun and start acting crazy there will be a dozen or so brave citizens that will take him or her down in the blink of an eye. It's scary but comforting at the same time. You know how states have Tax Free Weekends for school supplies right before school starts? Texas has proposed a Tax Free Weekend for ammo before hunting season! You can't make this stuff up!
Burleson! Our hometown for the entire time we lived in Texas except for this last month when we have lived in Keene (aka "The Holy City). Burleson was a wonderful place to live and for Ben and Sarah to grow up. Pathway Church, Burleson schools that educated both kids from K-12 , great civic pride and leadership under our current Mayor Ken Shetter and a city council that has a great vision for the future.
The People! To say Texans are proud people would be an understatement of gigantic proportion. Texans are also over the top friendly, caring and giving people. We've been so blessed to meet so many real Texans and their spirit is contagious. It's been said that Texas could secede from the US and survive, yep, I believe it 100%.
Things I won't miss about Texas
Tornados and hailstorms! Florida has it's hurricanes but you tend to get a 4-5 day warning. In Texas a thunderstorm suddenly produces a tornado that tosses around railroad cars or hail the size of bowling balls. It's the price you have to pay here in the spring to get those amazing wildflowers and the green grass to enjoy for a little while.
Big 12 Football! It's not bad but it's not my beloved SEC. I tried for years to explain the passion of the SEC to Big 12 friends but I gave up. They just don't understand that it lasts all year and that in the fall not only are weddings and funerals planned around Saturday but that births and deaths are also delayed or rushed so fans won't miss a minute of action on the field. It gets downright crazy but I love it.
Houston Traffic! You've got to experience it to believe it. Dallas and Austin have their moments but Houston takes it to a whole different level. Houston could be a wonderful city but every time Beth and I went down to visit Sarah we ended up mostly sitting still in the middle of the freeway with a billion other frustrated drivers
Texas Beaches! Texas has so much but man they drew the short straw when it comes to their beaches. Comparing them to the west coast beaches of Florida would be like comparing Mother Teresa to Charles Manson..............you just shouldn't do it.
August! Hell hath no greater fury than August in Texas. Sometime mid to late July it really starts cranking up and it doesn't release it's death grip until some time in September. Sure it gets hot in a lot of places during the summer but it's just different here. The big problem is that unlike most places it doesn't cool down at night. It can get downright depressing watching the news at 10:00 PM and seeing that little time/temperature in the corner showing it's still 98 degrees and then turning on the news the next morning to see that it's cooled down to a balmy 96! You just have to make frequent trips to Sonic or Bahama Bucks for a cool treat and hunker down inside. Fall and cooling rains will eventually hit and the next thing you know it's cold and brown!
God has blessed Texas in so many ways and we've been blessed to have spent a good portion of our lives here. We leave with so many great memories.
