1. The trees! Now, not all places in Texas have trees but my part of Texas does and it's got a lot of them. I remember coming home from school in Utah and my eyes would just relax - taking in all of the amazing green. It is a definite sight for sore eyes. No matter what time of year here - it's GREEN.2. Southern Hospitality - how nice Texans are. I love that when you are standing in line at the grocery store it is perfectly normal for the people waiting in line with you to strike up a conversation. Not to mention the people you meet on walks or at the park! And when the lights turn yellow it doesn't mean that a million people speed through - they actually slow down and stop!
3. Bluebonnets. I know these grow other places but I don't think they grow anywhere in such huge numbers. There's nothing like the never-ending fields of bluebonnets lining the highways each spring.
4. My familia - when I grew up we were thousands of miles away from our nearest cousins or grandparents so I never knew what it was like to really know them. I always thought people who were friends with their cousins were weird. Several of us Arntsen kids ended up back in Texas by my parents and it has been great. It feels so good to have other people love your kids too. And my kids are BIG fans of their grandparents...
5. Texan Pride - Is there another state that feels such an amazing amount of pride about there state? Do people from other states where their state flag on a t-shirt or put a patch of it on their backpack? Or hang the actual flag in their window? I remember my roommate Mary asking me if the statement, "Don't Mess with Texas" was meant to be a joke. Umm...no, DON'T mess with Texas! And I'm pretty sure only Texans say a pledge of Allegiance to their state flag after the National one. "Honor the Texas flag; I pledge allegiance to thee, Texas, one state under God, one and indivisible."
6. My places. I grew up here so there are some streets and locations that are just dripping with nostalgia. I had a really happy childhood filled with summer evening street games and homemade spook houses. It's always sad to leave the locations that mean so much. Especially when your parents don't live there anymore so you can't go "home" to them anymore.
7. Texas History. I have to admit I'm pretty proud of this state's history. I still think the six flags over Texas is pretty cool and my heart still swells when I hear stories of Sam Houston, Davy Crocket and all of the guys at the Alamo.
8. Even though most days I hate the humidity, sometimes I actually kinda love it. It's just fun to step outside on your porch in the evening and hear the crickets chirping, the frogs croaking, and be able to cut the air with a knife. It makes me feel like I'm right in the middle of a Harper Lee novel. Which leads me to...
9. Down here people put lawn chairs out on their drive ways and porches in the evening and sit. And eventually other neighbors wander over with their evening drinks in hand and sit and chat. I remember in the summer sitting in the Gerhardt's driveway, smelling Nancy's wine, and listening to all of the adults talk in between our bicycle races in the street.
10. Last but not least - our friends. We have been blessed by so many great friends down here. Texas makes good people. We will miss them all so much but the blow is definitely softened by the fact that some of them have blogs so we can keep in touch.
10 comments:
I think I teared up, I'm just in denial still! We will miss you more!!
i have great memories of texas too - but i REALLY don't miss the heat :)
Yes!! Texas is amazing! There's a part of me that will never stop missing it:) Whenever I think of Texas pride...I remember the quote that Spencer found at the San Jacinto Monument - about the flu being stuck with someone like God's cause to an honest man in Texas. How cool is that? It's fun to tweak the first part of that thought and apply it to lots of different situations!
Great thoughts, Meg. I hope that you're move goes well...
As a proud Canadian, I never thought I would end up in Texas in a million years. It's funny to me how proud I am that all of my children were born there. (I teared up at the Alamo.) I will never miss the heat, but it's true what they say about people being friendlier in the south. I am now the crazy lady who talks to people in grocery stores, who wouldn't seem so crazy if she were still in Texas. (: Jess
Great post and I don't want to rain on your parade but you would probably want to know that 'porch monkeys' is actually an incredibly racist term...you probably didn't know that so, thought you might want it pointed out :)
Whoops! I guess that's part of being from Texas. I'll go change that right now...
Thanks for making me feel better about living here FOREEEEVER!
I was about to point out that your rendition of the Texas pledge is off, as would be my duty, when I realized that they amended it last year to include "one state under God".
How cool is that?! At a time when most people are giving in to the argument to take it out of our national pledge, Texas sticks it to them all and makes it a mandatory part of every student's day. Don't mess with Texas is right!
FYI--I placed a call to the San Jacinto Monument to find out who deserves recognition for the quote Lindsay referenced. If memory serves correct (it was 1995), this grand Texan, as he lay daying, said, "This rheumatism sticks to my bones like God's cause to an honest man in Texas". The librarian said she would research it and get back to me...
ditto on what to miss about Texas.
You have moved yet again...good luck on the new adventure!
Moving can be rejuvenating...so best wishes.
I MISS YA'LL!!! Texas is less of a state without you! The heat does getting tiring, but Oh those winter days at 60 degrees. Plus with Humidity, You won't wrinkle as fast! Out of state Texans need to start a new movement and talk at the grocery store check out everytime! Much love, The Murray Family (your family)
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