I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as quick as I could – NOT!

I wasn’t born in Texas, but I got here as quick as I could – NOT!

I came to Texas kicking and screaming. I loathed Texas and all things Texan. So why, for the love of God, am I still here after eight years?

Let me get back to you on that.

I really don’t think the average Texan knows or cares just how reviled Texans are by much of the rest of the country. Growing up in Colorado I learned to despise Texans. They would come in and hog our roads, crowd our ski slopes and make royal jerks of themselves by boasting about how much bigger and better everything is in Texas.

Let me tell you, it really gets under your skin. If things are so much better in Texas, then why do you have to travel abroad and make the rest of us so miserable? Just stay home.

But I’m not in Colorado anymore. I’m in Texas – enemy (or enema) territory. I came here as an economic refugee. I did three years time in Amarillo. My sentence got commuted to Houston and I’ve been here for the past five years. I have to confess that it has grown on me. I actually like it here. As much as I miss Colorado and would go back in a heartbeat, I really don’t have the desire to leave Texas.

Texas and Texans have been really good to me. My life for the past 10 years has been a real struggle on several levels. I’ve found a lot of compassion, encouragement, grace and support from people here. I also love being close to the coast and in an area with an abundance of wildlife and outdoor activity. Oh, and the history! This area is rich with really fascinating history. Colorado’s history isn’t nearly as old or interesting.

As a first-generation Coloradan, I have no ties to the history there. Being married to a Texan, my wife and sons have deep roots in Texas history. Remember Goliad? A relative is buried there – massacred by the Mexicans 178 years ago. That alone practically makes us Texas royalty, or so I’m told.

In addition to the wonderful people and the abundance of outdoor life and history, this area has so many interesting things to see and do within a few hours drive. Houston has most of the major sports teams. There are museums, aquariums, parks, historic sites and other interesting places to see. As a space junkie, I love visiting NASA at Space Center Houston. There is so much to see and do there and it’s historic and authentic.

I also enjoy a good rodeo and Houston has one of the best. The area has an abundance of fairs and festivals. My family can’t seem to get enough of the various reenactment events. There are plenty to be had here on the Texas independence Trail.

Then there is the opportunity to just be an oddity. We have Compicpalooza, Space City Con and Weird West Fest here. Those events are always great opportunities to dress up in costumes and rub elbows with celebrities. You should try it sometime. It’s also fun to dress up in period costume and attend the Texas Renaissance Festival each fall. We do it joust for the fun of it!

Another thing I like about living here is being able to wear my cowboy hat without catching a lot of grief. While cowboy hats aren’t uncommon in Colorado, someone will invariably call you Tex or make some smart-alecky remark if you wear one. Here, no one thinks twice about it. That’s probably because the locals are either wearing one themselves or have one they wear on occasion. It’s just part of the culture.

I guess I’ve learned to not be so judgmental about Texans once I’ve walked a mile in their moccasins. That doesn’t mean that Texas has taken the Coloradan out of me. It won’t. It simply means that I’ve learned to love and respect people for who they are and where they are at. Now, if Texans could learn to do the same, things might be a lot more pleasant for those living in the other 49 states.