Texas and Colorado

When I was 13, my parents gave me devastating news: we were moving. Now, we were a military family, so this was nothing new. Dad had retired, gone to seminary and I new this would happen eventually. But, we were living in Colorado by this point. And I had decided I was going to be a permanent Coloradoan. I loved everything about Colorado, had made friends, was trying my hardest to become popular (great goal, right?) and had become quite the skier. If you grew up skiing in Colorado, you would know there is one thing ALL good skiers from Colorado hate. Texans. Can't stand them. I mean, seriously, they come up with all their oil money, their big hats and try to ski. They talk funny and take over the slopes. Nothing worse than a Texan. So when my parents told me we were moving I was very upset, but when I found out we were moving to Texas I was mortified. How could they do this to me? I could never tell all my friends I was moving to the most hated place in the world!

Sure enough, my freshman year of high school I found myself living in Texas. I spent way too much energy that year hating Texas. I wrote Texas Sucks S*** on all my notebooks. I had complete and total disdain for Texas and Texans. I couldn't wait for the day I could leave this most horrid of places and return to Colorado. Graduation from high school couldn't come soon enough! And I did just that. I graduated in May and by late August, I was living back in Colorado. Never mind that I was 17, couldn't afford out of state tuition, was making $400 a month and living in an apartment with 2 girls I had never met. I was BACK. Which only lasted 4 months, but that's another story. By the time I was 19 I did leave Texas, for good.

My memories of my time in Texas are pretty negative. Considering that it was high school and I was in the midst of rebelling heavily, not much positive DID happen! I've pretty much managed to deeply dislike Texas. The thought of the place makes me cringe. There aren't great people there, the weather is horrid ... Even though my parents have lived there most of the time since I left, and my brother has never left, I managed to avoid visiting for many years.

Enter Facebook. I reconnected with many old friends. People I figured forgot about me completely and figured good riddance. :-) I was pleasantly surprised, well, even amazed that some of my friends are actually Christians. What? Seriously? Shock. That people from Texas grow up too! (A tiny bit of arrogance and stupidity on my part, don't you think!) I've even visited Texas twice in the last year and a half and truly enjoyed reconnecting with friends from so long ago. And again, pleasantly surprised to find out we really like each other, have much in common and are friends now!

So, to all my Texan friends, please forgive me for hating Texas and Texans for so many years. Ya'll aren't so bad after all! (And, no, I never say "ya'll".) Oh, wait, that's "all ya'll ain't ...". :-) It's been very fun to see everyone all grown up! And even though I reside in Colorado yet again, I will not become a Texas hater.

Although I still don't think it's the *best* state ...