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What’s So Great About Texas?
I never said it. Not once…
Born and raised in Dallas, I spent 20 years in the Lone Star State before joining the military. Not ever did I say the phrase “Yeehaw”. I did, however, say the phrase “Damn, it’s hot today…” on numerous occasions. In fact, I don’t even have a Texas accent.
Not surprising since 88% of Texans live in a metropolitan area. Don’t get me wrong; if you drive in any direction away from Dallas for 20 minutes, things start to sound a little… twang-y.
Dallas sits, in all its majestic glory, in a prairie. To the north and south of Big D stretches hundreds of miles of gently rolling plains and grasslands; big, beautiful wide-open spaces perfect for a kid with a boundless imagination.
To the east there are thick woodland forests that reach all the way into Louisiana and Arkansas; to the west, arid deserts and breathtaking rock formations. A desert Texas is, thanks to 20th Century cinema, what most Americans think of when they picture Texas.
The state also boasts mountains and oceans if you drive far enough. And therein lies the challenge: everything is so damn far from everything else! Measured in miles, it’s just about as far to go from Houston, Texas to El Paso, Texas as it is to go from El Paso to Los Angeles. Fortunately, we don’t measure in miles, but in hours.
