After a spirited back and forth with another blogger about Texas (her dislike and my defense of) I've decided to try to examine the phenomenon of Texas pride (as objectively as possible and with some humor).
I mean really, where does it come from? I'm not even afflicted with true Texas pride, but I do find myself on the defensive when someone speaks negatively about us. Being Texan becomes an inextractible part of our identity, even when we don't fit the "Texan" stereotype. Why? This doesn't happen in other states, at least not to the degree it does here.
My plan is to elicit some responses from Texans and non Texans about Texan pride, I may even get brave and try to get some video responses. I think it will be alot of fun and very eye opening, to say the least. I'm sure anything short of painting Texas as the perfect place, is going to put me up for some pretty harsh criticism, but I'm a big girl.
To begin with, check out this video. It is tongue and cheek, but I think a lot of the country feels this way towards this state.
Are you still proud?
3 comments:
SP,
I did try to post that video on my website, but I couldn't get it to work. Good for you for taking it a little less seriously.
As someone who was born in Texas but lived almost all my life in California, I've always been mystified by the 'Texan Pride' thing.
My experiences with Texas have been less than stellar and I knew my comments would get some snarky replies. But I stand by my experiences and my statements.
I still don't understand the uber-Texans.
I'm not sure I ever will.
Thanks for your post.
Suburban Psychotic: Good luck with your new project. Self introspection is always valuable. I loved the video you posted. :) Here's a starting place for your research - a website named TEXAS PRIDE - http://www.beer-bytch.com/texaspride.htm. I thought this joke from that site was funny:
Don't Jump...??
A Texan looked up at the top of a tall building and discovered a man ready to jump! "Stop," he yelled, "remember you're someone who has value!"
The man yelled back, "I just lost everything of value in the stock market!"
"But remember you're important to your wife," yelled the Texan.
"She divorced me, the bitch."
"Your children! Remember your children," yelled the Texan.
"They never call," said the man.
"Then your parents. Remember your parents," yelled the Texan.
"Dead as doornails," said the man.
"Then 'Remember the Alamo," yelled the Texan.
"What's the Alamo?" inquired the man.
And the Texan replied: "Jump, you sonnofabitch! Jump!"
I think I've been contemplating discussing these issues ever since the election, when I got to hear more than I'd ever wanted about the reasoing and "logic" behind Texas Politics....sigh.
FF, I will check out the website, and that joke is great. Our family recently visited the Alamo, and I have had a hard time explaining to my 8 year why Texans are so proud of it, he gets a bit stuck on the fact that it was a completete massacre and that "we lost" anyway.
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