My chosen home state has been in the news a fair amount this week. For being such a big place, we're not often on the front page as much as we have been lately. We're showing up on the op-ed pages, too, with writers (including this one from the L.A. Times) giving their reasons to stay out of Texas.
Rather than slam someone else's home and write a post about five reasons to stay out of California, I have decided to uphold some of the good about Texas - at least, the good that I see and live here, and have for most of my life.
10. Mix of people
We have a wide mix of people here in Texas. People from all over the country and all over the world land here, creating a beautiful hodgepodge. If you want to be around people who only look like you, act like you, worship like you, or talk like you, Texas isn't for you.
9. The people
We're friendly. People here aren't afraid to lend a hand when it's needed, and sometimes, even when it's not. People here are warm, loyal, and smart. Obviously, there are jerks everywhere, including Texas, and there are warm, loyal, and smart people everywhere, too.
8. Art and culture
Because we have such a mix of people, we have fantastic arts and culture. If you want world-class museums and symphonies - we have them. If you want a world-class live music scene - we have it. If you want a corny (but well-performed) musical that pokes fun at us - we have that, too. Great restaurants with food from a variety of cultures - check. Fun shopping in both big chains and local favorites - check.
7. Higher education
Our higher education has something for almost everyone. We've got schools that are in smaller towns, and schools smack-dab in the center of our biggest cities, and everything in between. These schools attract students from all over, helping to contribute to the cultural mix I mentioned above. Driving around college towns, you'll see license plates from all over the country. And we like it that way.
6. The weather
OK. It gets hot here. Let's just say that outright. But Hubby loves not shoveling snow after doing that his whole life in Massachusetts. My in-laws recently retired here because my father-in-law was worn out from years and years of moving snow.
Don't get me wrong, I like snow fine - and cold weather, too. And I get just about enough of it living in Texas to keep me happy until the next winter. We do have four seasons - you just have to pay closer attention here. Fall sneaks up on you, like an old friend, tapping you on the shoulder from behind. And Spring in Texas? One word: bluebonnets.
5. The varied landscape
Mountains. Canyons. Beaches. Prairies. Ranchland. Cities. Small towns. Rivers. Bayous. Pine trees. Oak trees. Elm trees. Palm trees. Crepe myrtles. Hydrangeas. Roses. Cows. Goats. Bunnies. Cardinals. Red-winged blackbirds. All that - and so much more. You might have to drive a ways to get from the canyon to the beach, but they're there for you.
4. Mansfield
We live in a suburb of the DFW Metroplex now, called Mansfield. It used to be a small town out in the middle of nowhere but is now surrounded on almost every side by people. We've got Starbucks and local coffee shops. We've got almost all the stores we need on a regular basis. We've got small business and big business.
Our lovely home with its good-sized lot cost a reasonable amount. We're close enough to Dallas and Fort Worth that we can get to them easily (as well as a myriad of other suburban towns), and in fact I drive to one or both every week. We have beautiful city parks here, with another one going in just around the corner. As I've been walking the neighborhoods more and more, I've fallen more in love with this place.
3. Austin
I lived in Austin as a child. I lived in Austin in college. I lived in Austin as an adult. I love Austin. It's the place where my heart always feels at home. I got my first apartment there, got two college degrees there, got married there, bought my first home there, experienced both gut-wrenching loss and profound joy there, and got a hard-earned master's degree there.
It's a beautiful place, trying desperately to stay "weird," in spite of the fact that it's growing like crazy. The infrastructure hasn't kept up with the growth so well, and traffic sucks. But that can be said lots of places, and I had fun finding back roads that took me through beautiful areas of town while I avoided the highways. It's all what you make of it.
2. I am called to serve here
Hubby is an electrician, licensed by the State of Texas, and so when I finished seminary, we determined that I would restrict myself to Texas for the purpose of receiving my first call to a church. Eventually, I was called to serve Our Redeemer Lutheran Church in Grand Prairie - another suburb of DFW. I love my work there, but more than that, I love the people. They are hard-working, caring people who love the Lord, love each other, and love their communities. What a blessing.
1. It's home
There's a saying: "I wasn't born in Texas, but I got here as fast as I could," and this applies to me. I moved here at age six and have lived here off and on ever since. I haven't lived anywhere else for longer than a year because this is home.
Of course Texas has some screwed-up politics. Of course I don't agree with every statesman/woman's point of view. Of course I think we have things to improve on. Every place has all of these things! But what makes a place home is not its perfection. What makes a place home is that it captures our heart somehow, and holds it.
Texas isn't for everyone. But I'll take it.
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