As a child born in Europe I grew up with books of cowboys, Texas Rangers, desperados, banditos or Comanches. The wild West and all that frontier stuff. There was this fantastic German writer Karl May, who himself has never been to the US, who wrote fabulous adventure stories about American frontier. These stories were incredibly appealing to young people. During my boyhood, this magical place was crated in my mind where the bad guys met their fate by heroic deeds of brave men.
This place was called Texas. That's where it was all happening and I yearned to go there one day.
I arrived at the US shores in 1967 at the age of 22. After a few months I made a decision to move to Houston TX for no other reason other than it sounded good to me! Alright, I also had a friend there. Being practically broke in those early days, I hopped on an old passenger train in NYC and headed for Texas! All by my lonesome self. It was a very long journey which took three long days. The train was very slow as well as uncomfortable.. To my dismay, the scenery was getting less and less appealing as we were approaching the Lone Star State. Getting closer to Houston it was becoming downright depressing. Where were all those vistas, canyons, green pastures and pine forests? Where were all those breathtaking veiws that Zane Grey described so vividly? The Riders of the Purple Sage. Never mind that Zane Grey didn't write about Texas, he was more at home at Mogollon Rim in Arizona. But then, that's how it was fixed in my young mind.
As it turned out, the country was nothing but a flatland covered with scrub brush and other thorny things. Very dry, arid, desert-like. I was used to lush farm lands and forests of Central Europe. To add to my growing disappointment, it was getting hotter as we were approaching Houston, more than I ever experienced before. Hot and muggy!
Having only 70 bucks in my pocket, an old boarding house in a dubious part of town became my temporary home. When I turned on the lights during my first night there, the cockroaches almost covered the top of my dresser. In the adjacent room, separated by thin door, an unknown couple was having a romp of their life. The roaches and heavy moaning.
The long story short, I left Texas in a few months for Chicago. Years later I realized that I didn't do Texas any justice in those days. Not owning a car back then, I didn't see much. I know there are beautiful parts of Texas, like Texas Hill country or the ol' San Antonio. My expectations of Texas were more like the scenery of Wyoming or Utah.
There was one wonderful surprise in Tejas though. Its people. I never met such a friendly and helpful people before. Coming from a communist country where everybody was suspicious of everybody, the Texan openness was so new to me. Wonderful people, I still remember all those characters I met in those days. Being new in the country, several people took me under their wing.
Forty years later I have come to Texas again, after having lived for almost fourty years in Alaska. By now I have crisscrossed the United States in all directions. How do I find Texas this time around? I am an American now. I served in the US Armed Forces, I married and worked 20 years for the US government as a civilian. Throughout the years I became a staunch patriot who truly loves this land. This time I entered Texas on my way from Alaska, pulling 37' fifthwheel behind the F350 diesel truck. We traveled along the Interstate through Dalllas, Fort Worth via San Antonio, Houston into Louisiana.
And I was disappointed again. Sorry Texans. I am not picking on your state. I am just sharing my observations. This time my beef was with large Texas cities. Dallas, Fort Worth, Houston. I found these to be sprawling concrete jungles where the landscape is covered by freeways and strip malls. The downtowns are not pedestrian friendly, one sees just concrete parking lots and office skyscrapers. Not exactly some place where one wants to hang around. Ugly, I say. You guys like to live like that? Have you ever been to Seattle or Vancouver B.C.? I did like parts of San Antonio minus its outlying areas. The quality of living is important. Why don't you use some of your tax dollar to build beautiful parks, greenbelts etc? Along the highway as well, think how much time you spend in the car.
The Texans are proud of their state and that is great. I like Texans as I stated before. They must be a hard breed of people who made such a prosperous place out of this inhospitable land. Don't get me wrong, there are lovely areas in Texas I have seen, like Austin, San Antonio. I just haven't seen too many of them. I know I am not completely fair. Even though we drove the entire length of the state, I have not seen large portions of it. Quite often I was told that the Texas Hill country, the coastal areas, and Big Bend National Park are places to visit. I do think that Texas is probably a comfortable place to live in, if you have a good air conditioner. (grin).
I better finish this before I get banned from the state of Texas forever! I do not mean to anger any of you Texans, I hope you know that. It really doesn't mean diddly what I think as you will readily agree. I just thought I would share my observations with you. Some people don't like Alaska, my beloved home for the most of my adult life.
In any case, Texas, you have some best public relations people in the world! Beginning with Western writers such as Max Brand, Louis L'Amour or Larry McMurtry. (chuckle)
I would like to hear people's comments. What went wrong between me and Texas? I know, I know, it's a matter of child's fantasy and life's reality.
Am I missing the good parts? (very possible). But I would like to add one thing before I finish this. Regardless of what one thinks of Texas, it definitely is an area which evokes respect. Its history and its people, just to name a few: the Bush Dynasty, LBJ, Mary Richards. The Lone Star State. I loved the Lonesome Dove. but you know what? I think Texas made me the romantic that I am to this day.
Thanks Texas.
Thanks Texas.
No comments:
Post a Comment