Forty years ago last month, I arrived in Texas. I never intended to stay more than a year, but time flies when you’re having fun. Two of my children were born here, and the one born elsewhere is probably more loyal to the state than the rest of us. If there’s any other state that claims such loyalty and pride from its citizens, I don’t know about it. Residents insist on referring to it as “the great state of Texas,” much to the annoyance of outsiders. Even more obnoxious are those who refer to it as “the sacred and holy Republic of Texas.”
Truly, Texas is a state of mind. It’s an attitude that embraces independence and self-sufficiency. But other attributes make Texas stand out from the crowd as well.
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Patriotism thrives in Texas. School children recite the Pledge of Allegiance every morning at the beginning of class. Immediately afterward, they also recite the Pledge to the Texas Flag. “Honor the Texas flag. I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas. One state, under God. One and indivisible.”
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Everything’s bigger, including Texas itself. One of the biggest states in the Union, it takes at least 12 hours to drive from Beaumont in the east to El Paso on the far west corner. It also takes more than 12 hours to drive from Brownsville at the southern tip to Amarillo in the Panhandle, and you’ve still got a ways to go before you exit the state.
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Few states can boast the variety of terrain, from the piney woods of East Texas to the central Hill Country to the western desert. But don’t forget the Gulf Coast, the Valley with its citrus crops, and the high plains of the Panhandle. Oh, and a portion of the Rocky Mountains as well.
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Texas history beats any other state history. Six flags have flown over this territory—Spain, France, Mexico, Confederate, U.S. and the Republic of Texas. Yes, this is the only state that was once a sovereign country. Add in heroes like Sam Houston, Davy Crockett, Jim Bowie and others who fought at the Alamo and San Jacinto, the esteemed Texas Rangers (I’m talking about the lawmen, not the ball team) and the rough-and-tumble frontier that drew settlers, European immigrants, and outlaws alike. Texas state history is fascinating.
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Highway signs remind you to “Drive Friendly.”
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Go Texan Day, when everyone gets to dress western and pretend to be cowboys and cowgirls. (Of course, it’s perfectly acceptable any time of the year for men to wear cowboy boots under their dress pants or for girls to wear boots with dresses, or even with shorts.)
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The TX highway department has been known to change the electronic signs over the interstate to cheer for the University of Texas team
when they play their rival in a neighboring state. -
Whataburger, HEB grocery stores and–what else?–Texas-shaped tortilla chips!
