Texas History: The People of Texas - Just Wired Different

Just Wired Different

 I wanted to begin our series of posts on Texas History with something that is a must read, especially for non-Texans. I bring this to your attention because many people don't understand how Texans can be so fiercely proud of their home state. Texans are extremely proud people, no doubt. It's something that is natural to us. To understand that feeling, a non-Texan must peer into the heart of a Texan and see something that is as much a part of us as is our soul. We (Texans) are just wired different than other folks, not better than or more important than, just wired different. Kind of like a PC vs. a Mac. Same kind of machine doing the same things to get to the same place, but in a different way. Just wired different.

Texas. It's like a whole other country, as the saying goes. Or, as John Wayne said, "Texas is the damnedest lady I ever saw." Both of those observations are bullseye accurate. Willie Nelson once told me during an interview, "I could be dead ass asleep on the bus and when we cross that Texas line, I can feel it." That Willie sure has a way with words, doesn't he? Being a Texan in a land far away, like I am, in Maine, gives me, perhaps a different perspective than many still-in-Texas Texans. Don't get me wrong, I love Maine. It's a great place to live and raise a family. The scenery here is very much like East Texas, pine trees everywhere, lots of lakes, ponds, creeks and rivers and good, down-to-Earth, proud people that talk funny. I miss Texas. A lot. It's home. It's like my Mother, a part of me that is eternal and undeniable. A piece of my soul, a blessing from God. Something that nobody can ever take away from me. Texas is me. And you. And your kids and neighbors and fellow parishiners at church. Texas is Us. Even the Yankees that call Texas  'home", they are Texas and Texans, and  like James Bowie, Davy Crockett, Sam Houston, and Stephen F. Austin, once foreigners, now us, Texans. You know, American by birth, Texan by the Grace of God. The following link is to a piece written by legendary Texan and football coach, Bum Phillips. Bum, like Willie, has a way with words. Take a few minutes to read it, alone if you can, think about it, then pass it on to your kids or grandkids, your friends (especially if they live in another part of the country), whomever. As Texans, when we talk about Texas, we don't brag, we do so with a deep-rooted pride and reverence. Because we are forged of a hotter fire.

Weekend Rerun!

I am still under the weather, so today I am gonna post some stuff that's been posted before, but it's certainly worth a second read, if you've already looked it over. For our newer visitors, it'll be a great opportunity to catch up on the material they have not had the chance to read yet. At any rate, you'll be exposed to rantings of a madman the award-winning (my Mom awarded me a Dinky Button) literature that makes you queasy you've come to expect from yours truly, so set your expectations real low and you won't be disappointed. It's a win-win deal.

• The Law West of the Pecos- The heartwarming tale of a man who basically ruled a portion of West Texas from the Court's bench. Justice Roy Bean style went like this: a guy was accused of killing a Chinese man. Judge Bean studied on it for a bit, then proclaimed the defendant not guilty. The Judge said, and I'm paraphrasing here, "it's certainly against the law to kill a man, but the law says nothing about killing a Chinaman. Case dismissed." Read the post and click on he links and you'll find more tear-inducing tales of the Law West of the Pecos.
• Forged of a Hotter Fire- I have posted 288 times on this blog so far, and this is in my Top 3 Favorite Posts. In the story, click the link to read a great essay from Coach Bum Phillips on what it means to be a Texan. I think our non-Texan friends will enjoy it and gain a little insight as to why Texans are so fiercely proud of our heritage. God bless Texas.
• Country Music Month Wrap Up- This was posted about a week and a half ago, but it's still worth re-reading or just clicking on the links to the music of BOCEPHUS!!!

That's a pretty good day's reading right there. Sit back, crack open a beer for breakfast and hit the "Bocephus" post, crank up the music and read the other two posts while you jam. That's the way people "forged of a hotter fire" do it.