Son's and Daughters of Texas

[pistolpadre]

This will be short and sweet (hope anyway) as it's a little hypocriticl of me to write much about being a son of Texas when I don't live there, and sure didn't have much to do with being born there.. Not like I said "OK Mom, we're in Longview let me out"..

But that's what happened on 5 May year of our Lord 1948.. Guess the folk's weren't to thoughtful about my name.. Gregg County, Gregg County hospital.. I didn't have any idea it was connected till a few years ago and I noticed the County is spelled with two g's , so was my name until I changed it some time in my teen years when I figured the two g thing had a 'skippy ' sort a ring to it.. So what's ya think we aut'a name the little §¥€€¥ honey, Gosh I Don't know pumpkin..(at this point I can see one of them looking around, and a sign on the wall.. yep, they gave it some serious thought..

So, what's the point here.. sorta like the folk's.. I'm a bit simple, and I'm real proud to have been born in Texas.. for 55 of those 65 years I've told people I was born in Texas with pride, and know what.. for 55 years I've seen the reaction folk have when you tell them you're a Texan by birth.. I really don't think any other state (with the possible exception of Alaska, but cold don't count) get's that same reaction.. People all over this Nation, and the World (did a LOT of traveling in the Navy) are fascinated by Texas..

So if you feel like being proud today, here's a good place to start.. you're a TEXAN

 

[txbikerman]

well said padre

 

[pistolpadre]

Thank's Dave, I was thinking about this the other day, I'm sure everyone has had that same reaction when you tell folk's, and it's just flat cool..

 

[robertc1024]

Still no oil well in the back yard, or a horse but - yeah - you get a reaction. Especially when a bunch of Germans (who just bought your company) walk out the back of your building and they see the train of people on horseback and wagons riding down the I-35 access road to the San Antonio rodeo. Then you take them to the bull riding competition. Then you take 'em shooting. Then they go home and tell all their friends how it is.

Trying to keep the tradition alive.

 

[Mic]

Umm. I can only claim to be a born-again-Texas. But since that's all I've got, I go with it.

 

[F350-6]

I used to get a kick out of traveling. I have what some would call a Texas accent. I can't begin to count how many times I've been asked where I'm from and after responding Texas, being told, I know that, what part or what city. Everyone's heard of Dallas because of JR. Many have heard of Houston, Several have heard of other big cities or know places where relatives live, but it always amazed me the number of people who pretended to know where I was talking about when I listed the town of 1,200 and the town of 550 that I live between.

The fascination with Texas is hard to describe unless you've seen it on the outside.

Now count your blessings Pistolpadre. You know how close you were to just being a Cajun? Another 40 miles or so East and we wouldn't be having this conversation.

 

[cbigclarke]

Umm. I can only claim to be a born-again-Texas. But since that's all I've got, I go with it.

Hallelujah

Sent from my DROID RAZR using Tapatalk

 

[pistolpadre]

You are so right about the distance.. think it might be a tad more than 40 miles, but not much.. Longview "happened" cause of Pop's company.. He spent a full 50 years (36-86) with R.G. Lieuterneau.. RG had a company in Longview, and I believe a Bible college is still being run by the family south of town..

 

[Vaquero]

Good thread pard.

 

[robertc1024]

True. For all we know, he's still shooting at the damn sign.

 

[RickLovesBacon]

Umm. I can only claim to be a born-again-Texas. But since that's all I've got, I go with it.

I'm in the same boat

Sent from the Bacon isle at your local grocery store.

 

[benenglish]

People all over ... the World ... are fascinated by Texas.

I've read in more than one place that provides advice to travelers that since our government has done such a stellar job of making friends around the world, announcing you're from the U.S.A. is a good way to earn a cold shoulder. If you're traveling and want to wuss out, you say you're from Canada.

If you want to have a friendly conversation in foreign lands, you say you're from Texas.

So I've heard.

 

[Southpaw]

I'm not a Texan by birth but my daughter is and even at her young age I never go a day without reminding her that she is. Above her bed is our state's flag and when she looks up at it she say's "My Flag!" and I say, "your darn right!"

I've been all over the USA and there is just no comparison to being able to say you are a Texan.

 

[pistolpadre]

'Lefty's' daughter will be raised with pride in her State, thing is how common that is in Texas as opposed to other States.. Just can't imagin a kid having an Illinois state flag above their bed, much less having Mom' or Dad remind them to be proud of it as a birth right..

Ben.. in the years i 'traveled' ( meant getting orders lol ) I wasn't exposed to the animosity that you're talking about, and definitely exists.. I had three out of four years overseas (Naval patrol sqd., never on a ship) and being an American was no big deal one way or another back then, but when ever I mentioned Texas heritage it was a different story.. I'd wager you could go into any third world Nation, and 'if' the populace knew one State in the USA .. yes sir, Texas..

Robert, somewhere in an ADOT (az dept of trans) is a weather beaten old sign, waiting to be reused.. and ..sigh.. bullet hole free.. thanks for reminding me, I hope you get those STI's for Christmas anyway..

 

[AngeliaH]

I lived in Alabama for a short time. I used to laugh because they said I was the one with a funny accent. Lol. If I have a choice, I will never leave Texas again.

 

[Nortex]

"Texan by birth" and "Texan by Choice" are both pretty good in my book (I'm the latter).

When ribbed by natives about not being born here, I usually remind 'em neither were most Heroes of the Alamo.

 

[rsayloriii]

Texan by birth AND Texan by choice. Born in Texas and I'll be buried in Texas. I have no desire to go elsewhere. Shall I die elsewhere for whatever reason, make sure to drag me back to be buried here. I'm a Texan first, American second.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SGH-I337 using Tapatalk

 

[dustycorgill]

Good post. And hell yes I am proud to be born and raised in the Great State of Texas!

 

[deemus]

My brother who was maybe the biggest BS'er ever to walk the earth spent 23 years in the Navy. Sailed around the world several times, and he always had the same story. People loved hearing about Texas. It probably helped when he told them about the horse he rode to school ( he didn't) and about the oil well in his back yard (it wasn't) and about how we all wore six-shooters just walking around town (we didn't).

When he married his first and second wives, they all had some western movie idea of what Texas was like. In fact, as we drove through west Texas, his newly married second bride asked which of those oil wells were his. She got a funny look when I cracked up laughing. Just one of the lies that poor girl believed from my tall-tale telling brother, from Texas.

I myself take great pride in being from and living in Texas. I am 2/5ths of the way to having all five of the Texas flags adorning the walls of my TV room. One more to land in a month. My Cali relatives by marriage have tried to talk smack. I just tell them, "when you come from a state that used to be its own sovereign nation, come on back and we will talk about that." But most of them now call Texas home too. Hell, they even root for the Cowboys.

 

[pistolpadre]

Deemus.. I lost my Brother two years ago this march, bub also had the knack of 'storying' .. I'm shaking my head remembering some of his yarns, thing is (bet yours isH like this too) he had enough going on he didn't need to embellish anything.. two tours of Nam.. mustang O, went in enlisted, came out a Major.. guess they like to 'improve'!

Hape a thought about the soventry thing, AZ was last (contiguous obv.) In the Nation, and like TX was on the South's side to start with in the civil war.. this is important, they moved AZ's capital (due to southern sympathy) from southern Tucson to northern Prescott to deal with for he problem, and to this day you can feel a difference between N AZ, and S AZ.. I've often thought the SW (except CA) could leave the Union, and do just fine.. might have to invite in WY, ID, and MT.. guess we could ask UT, but I'm scared of those guy's who can handle multiple wife's..