We Texans Are a Proud and Friendly Lot

On days like today, a beautiful spring day, I can’t imagine why anyone wouldn’t love living in the state of Texas. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, the breeze is a-blowin’, and the weather you couldn’t ask for better.

I do know that in the next three months I won’t like the heat that is inevitable. I’m the type of person (very warm blooded and always have been) that if it gets over 95 degrees I stay inside in the air conditioned house drinking tea. And, please don’t ask me to go to any amusement park or do any outdoor activities until the sun goes down and then that's even iffey if I’ll go.

Going to the beach – maybe. Getting into the pool – certainly. However any activity that is going to take place in the hot sun and make me perspire (sweat to y’all that don’t know what perspire means), forget it. But thankfully the hot weather will only last about four months and I can outlast those four months for the other eight months of pure joy.

I have relatives that live in other states and for the life me, I can’t understand to this day why, if I even mention the word Texas it raises the hackles on their back. If I might happen to mention our weather is beautiful today. They want to remind me it was over a 100 degrees a few years back in April. (We did set a record of 100 degrees in April, and that was very, very unusual for our state). They will say I don’t like Texas, but they never come up with any real concrete idea why.

I think one of the reasons people don’t like Texas or Texans is because we are a proud lot. We’re proud of our state. We’re proud of our accomplishments. We’re proud to be a gun tot’n individuals. (And yes, some of us still carry rifles or shotgun in the back window of our pickups. You just never know when you will find a squirrel for dinner) And we will defend our property and our country if necessary.

We believe in God. We’re down-right proud to be patriotic. In case you haven’t noticed, Texas is a very patriotic state. And last, but not least, we take great pride in being called Americans.

Maybe that’s why people don’t like Texas, we’re a proud lot. But I’ve noticed we’re not too proud to be concerned about our neighbor and lend a helping hand if needed. Nor are we too proud to take a meal over to a neighbor or dear friend when they are sick or a loved one has just passed on. Nor are we too proud to lend a hand to our older Texans, maybe clean the house or mow the yard, paint, fix-up around the house because they are unable to do it any longer for themselves.

Yes, I guess you could say our southern roots are still in tack and so are our manners. Men still open the door for women and other folks regardless of age. We have a habit of saying yes, ma’am, yes sir, no, ma’am, no sir, and generally we’re a friendly lot.

We are respectful of others and their rights as individuals. Most of our men still take their hats off inside of a building, house, church, and when prayer is being offered. (Yes, quite a lot of us Texans still pray and honor God, along with country.)

Now I will say, not everyone in Texas is that way. Over the past few years we’ve had quite a few out-of-staters move in. But we still have plenty of folk with manners and teaching their kids manners too. There’s still a southern charm about the people in Texas. You may not find that southern charm so much in the big, inner cities, but you will definitely find it in our smaller, not so metropolitan, towns.

Well, I got little windy today, I guess I was letting off a little steam because of the bad rap that is all too often tagged to Texas and Texans. But I just had to let you know, we Texans are a proud and friendly lot.