I Like Texas!
No, my name is not Pat Green..., or Gary P. Nunn,
or Robert Earl Keen, or Cross Canadian Ragweed (Oklahoma roots)! However,
I do enjoy their hill country music and a lots more about the state from the Sabine to the Rio Grande. Texas is a lot of
state! I doubt that any other state has as wide a geographical variation as the Lone Star State.
Truthfully speaking, I like Texas! It is a state with a
history unlike any of the other forty-nine. No other state can claim to have singly won independence from a
rather large country, then operated themselves as an independent nation for 10 years before entering the United States
of America. Possibly because of this, the people have a strong sense of independence. Being an Arkie
(and yes, my state is a beautiful one!), I sometimes get aggravated at the independent and almost obnoxious
character that permeates Texas. Maybe I have the little guy syndrome, but overall I can deal with it! How can I complain?
I happily cross the Red River and the state line daily to perform my duties at Texarkana
College, one of fifty outstanding two year educational institutions found in Texas.
Don't get me wrong! Cut me and I bleed Hog red! Just saying
that raised my cholesterol 10 points. I love Arkansas! It is a state rich in beauty, from the cypresses
and palmettos that grace our varied river bottoms to the magnificent hardwoods that so grandly color the Ouachita and Ozark
mountain ranges.
Yet Texas is unique! As a child, I remember a trip to Galveston,
probably in the late 50s. We kept seeing little armored animals along the way who had donated their lives to
road kill. The range of the armadillo had not spread to Southwest Arkansas at that time. Since then
Texans have been quite happy to share their unofficial state bird, the armadillo, with their neighbors to the north.
Ours in Arkansas is the razorback hog, having bumped the possum off the perch! Oh the controlling powers will
tell you the mockingbird is the state bird of both states. Don't buy that foolishness!
I like Texas! The Battle of the Alamo is a story of the
independent character of the state. It is a part of history that Texas shares with the rest of our nation. People from
England, Ireland, and many of the states of our Union (even Arkansas) came to Texas and gave their lives in the fight for
freedom against the tyrannical dictatorship of Antonio López de Santa Anna. And let us not forget that most of those born
in Texas who died in the quest of freedom were of Mexican descent.
When I first stood on the grounds of the Alamo, I had a
certain thrill unlike any before. From early childhood I had known the story of the battle.
To stand on the same ground where such pioneers of freedom as Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie had died was close to being
a metaphysical experience. With the story of the Alamo it's hard to
separate legend from truth, but does it matter? If you have the opportunity, visit the Alamo and enjoy the
celebrated city of San Antonio and its atmosphere.
One of the injustices in college football today
is that the University of Texas and University of Arkansas do not play an annual football game.
That's the time when the small guy syndrome reaches its peak in our Natural State! For many of my age,
there was no thrill like the Hogs and Longhorns squaring off for what used to be an annual fight! How many jokes have
come out of this contest? It's hard to find a Hog fan who claims a "like" for the "Horns", but generally speaking,
there is a secret admiration between fans. The competition between the two is quite passionate! Many of us miss the
old Southwest Conference!
Yep, I like Texas! A southwest Arkansawyer has a lot of Tejas
in his upbringing. My wife and two sons were born in Texas. Even my daughter-in-law that I love so dearly is a Texan.
I'm the only one among the bunch that entered the world on Arkansas soil (my new grandson was born in Arkansas!). You know,
it's the ole log cabin story and such.
So to all my Texan friends, I salute you!
May God bless you all! And to my Texican fly fishing buddies, may you have many great coldwater fishing experiences in
Arkansas! And remember, here in Arkansas it's only a local call to Heaven!
thoughts by Johnny McJunkins.
email: jmcjunki@texarkanacollege.edu
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