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Quote of the Day: What I Like About Texas, 29 April 2017
You ask me what I like about Texas? Well aside from the obvious, such as @rightangles’ posts and pics, and the bluebonnets and Indian paintbrushes in full bloom at the height of spring, the list is exhaustive. We could be here all night long.
Fortunately, 31 years ago during the Texas sesquicentennial, country singer-songwriter Gary P. Nunn put that question and its many answers into a song, from which the following verse comes:
You ask me what I like about Texas?
It’s the big timber ’round Nacogdoches.
It’s driving El Camino Real down to San Antone.
It’s the Riverwalk and Mi Tierra,
Jammin’ out with Bongo Joe,
The stories of the Menger Hotel and the Alamo.
(You remember the Alamo!)
Here’s a video clip of Nunn performing the song on “The Texas Connection,” a weekly program that was broadcast on The Nashville Network during the ’80s and ’90s, live from Fiesta Texas in San Antonio. The song begins just past the one minute mark:
God bless you, Texas. I miss you dearly.
Published in Culture
I used to always drive from Dallas to Ohio around Easter, when the wildflowers were just popping. Lady Bird Johnson had one of the best first lady projects ever.
Lyrics Note, but:
I’ve been in Tennessee the past 27 years – but I grew up in Texas. And what was always great about being from Texas is that everybody (I mean, ever’body) knows where Texas is and what Texas is. There are a lot of stereotypical misconceptions about the state. (Westerns and the TV show “Dallas” is to thank for much of that.) But being from Texas made one stand out.
Well – except for one place: Tennessee. Because in Tennessee they will not hesitate to remind a Texan there wouldn’t be a Texas if weren’t for Tennesseans. :)
God bless Texas!
Thanks, Mikey! I love Texas too as you know.
What I find most remarkable about Texas is that its citizens quickly identify themselves by their state. Most of my friends from Texas (and I have a lot) readily and proudly call themselves “Texan.” I currently live in Kansas, and not only would it never occur to me to label myself by my state of residence, I’m having trouble even figuring out what the word would be. (“Kansasian?” “Kansaser?”)
I think it’s just “Kansan.” Though “Kansasasian” sounds more fun.
I took all of these near my house:
I once saw a Match.com profile where, under “Nationality,” the guy put “Texan” haha
I’m sure you’re right, but outside of stuffy Op-Eds in the local papers, you never hear it in conversation. “You’re so Kansan…” (What does that even mean? While nobody questions the meaning of “That’s so Texan.” Back to your “everybody knows who/where we are” thesis.) While we’re at it, what do citizens of Utah call themselves? Wyoming?
My point exactly! (I remember seeing a sign once as I left the DFW airport: “DFW – Good for Texas, Good for America.” That says a lot.)
I love Texas because it has a personality. Maybe some of the attitude is due to the fact that it was once a republic, I don’t know. All I know is that in most other states, you can drive along the highways and have no idea where you are if all you have to go by are the Barnes & Nobles, Starbucks, Targets, and so forth. It’s all the same. But here, you always know you’re in Texas. Every other business sign has a lone star or a cowboy boot on it, or maybe an armadillo. And the men are handsome. Maybe because so many have some Indian in them, I don’t know, but you’ve never seen so many handsome chiseled faces.
I wasn’t born here, but my parents are from here, and I’ve been coming here for Christmas and Thanksgiving all my life. And I got here as soon as I could.
I’ve always liked this one:
I found this guy in my yard:
And don’t forget the beautiful women! ?
Some friends of mine who let me take their picture (new friends, since it looks like this is headed for the Main Feed):
This great post is part of our Quote of the Day series. The new signup schedule for May is up! And Arahant is back on the job. You can participate by signing up here:
http://ricochet.com/424891/quote-of-the-day-sign-up-for-may-2017/
Thank you Mike, Great Post. No ZZ Top? Makes me sad.
Some of you know I’ve been trying to turn my new backyard, formerly a 5,000 square-foot part of a field of grass and weeds, into a yard of grass. That means pulling weeds nearly every day, until either my hands stop grasping or my back gives out.
I had one the other day that I wasn’t in a hurry to pull. I took a picture, instead. I love Texas!
I’ve been to Texas twice – once, when I was driving cross-country with my parents (a whiny teenager), but another time when I was in the Navy Reserves when we got to tour the Johnson Space Center.
The first time, we just drove through. All I could remember was it was hot!
The second time, my reserve unit stayed for our drill weekend. I remember the people, the food (Tex-Mex rocks), and yes, the heat again.
The thing I like best about Texas from afar is the attitude they have, the “we’ll do it the Texas way” state of mind. Maybe that’s why Texas is so successful compared to California or New York. Conservatism must be at the root of the Texas way of thinking – some how, some way . . .
Wow, how similar to this one from my front lawn:
What’d he taste like? Chicken?
Possum on the half shell.
That, sir, was genius.
I’ve only been to Texas once to watch a meteor shower at McDonald Observatory, but this post truly makes me want to go see what I’ve missed.
(BTW, Mike. Any chance you and Gary P. Nunn are related:)
East Texas checking in here! East Texas is the best of Texas and the South! Quick story: A few years back, a friend of mine, a fellow East Texan, and financial adviser, was on a work trip to NYC…he and another friend (who is the one who relayed the story to me) were walking through Little Italy. The streets were pretty narrow and a gleaming white Suburban drives by and the side mirror grazes my friend walking on the edge of the sidewalk….he isn’t hurt, but ticked…so he kicks the back quarter panel with his cowboy boot clad foot….the Suburban comes to a halt and out pour three gentleman who are unhappy with the podiatric assault on their vehicle…the three approach my friend grousing about it and loudly ask him: “Do you know who we are?” My friend fires back in his East Texas drawl “No, but what part of my accent makes you think I give a damn??” and boughs up on them. Much to the relief of my friend #2 who told me this story, the three gentleman backed off immediately, returned to the Suburban and left. He’s lucky his Texas-sized ego didn’t write checks his accent couldn’t cash! LOL!
Well, there is something we have in common; we see a bluebonnet and we run for the camera. :-)
Ha! Not that I’m aware of, but we both have great taste in shades. ?