I will start with an apology…I did not mean to write a book,
but the emotions are high right now!
I am from Texas!
It happens about once a month…I go through TSA, and they ask
me where I am from. There is no hesitation when I smile and proudly say ‘I am
from Texas’. There is confusion when they look at my license and see I have
been in Georgia for almost 20 years, they ask me again, and I am very clear
about the fact that I am from Texas.
The events of the last week have been truly heartbreaking. However,
the world is getting to see what those of us from Texas have always known, the
spirit of Texas is unbreakable. We celebrate the Alamo not because we won the
battle, but because we were resilient and we came back and won the war. A
couple of things the world should know about us Texans:
We are tough!
If
you have not seen the photo of the nursing home in Dickinson than google it. There
are about 10 ladies sitting in wheelchairs and everything looks normal except
for the fact that they are in 3 feet of water. Many people thought it was
heartbreaking. Many people questioned the authenticity of this photo because
those involved were not ‘panicked’ enough. These ladies are true Texans. They
kept doing their thing until they were rescued. Texans
are tough!
We Are Resourceful!
When
tragedy hits, we don’t sit around and wait for someone to rescue us, we get out
our john boats and go rescue our neighbors. Most rescues you see from the storm
were not rescues from police and firefighters…they were rescues from average
everyday citizens who jumped at the chance to help their fellow man. William
Long, the head of FEMA, said before the flooding that ‘Government alone can’t
save the day’. Well Texans knew that already and proved it this week…We are
resourceful!
We are Positive!
Probably the most frequent statement from my Facebook feed
this past week was ‘My heart goes out to those who have really been hit hard by
the flooding.’ Sitting 700 miles from the devastation…that was my thought exactly.
Except this quote was not just coming from those who were comfortably removed
from the situation. This quote was coming from friends who had houses full of
evacuees, friends who were evacuated themselves…and even a friend who knew they
had water in their house but they had a place to stay. Think about that for a
minute…less than .5% of the US population will ever be displaced by flooding,
and their hearts go out to those who have REALLY been hit hard. We are
Positive!
We Love!
Full disclosure…I am a straight white male, so I am the last
person allowed to talk about discrimination of any kind. However, I can
honestly say that growing up in the suburbs of Houston I did not see a lot of discrimination.
I had friends that were Black, White, Asian and Hispanic, and as they grew up I
learned that some of them were gay. A friend is a friend, and you love them FOR
who they are…not in spite of who they are. This was again on full display this
week. Neighbors jumped in to help neighbors. When the heroes got in their boats
to help out, all they knew was that people were in trouble. Rick Johnson, Daryl
Hudeck, Chad Watts, Michael Tran, Rahda Patel and the countless other first
responders and citizen hereos you will read about…they do not fit a stereotype.
Cynics will say that things will ‘go back to normal’ when the water recedes,
but growing up in Texas I can honestly say that this was my normal! In John
McGinnis interview (again, if you have not seen it than google it), he said “I’ve
never seen so much love in a place in my life!” That is because, as Texans, We
Love!
Our Heroes are True Heroes!
Finally, let’s talk about some of our heroes. JJ Watt has
been a Texas hero for a while (Thanks Wisconsin…you gave us a good one.) What
many did not realize (until recently) is that he is a hero primarily because of
what he does off the field. The most popular videos shared among my Houstonian
friends are not of his hits on the field. Instead it is video of when he stops
at a random football practice to give a pep talk to the young kids, when he
proposes to a 6-year-old fan, when he plays football with Sandy Hook families,
or when he raises 7.5M (and counting) for flood relief. Mattress Mack, who’s
crazy commercials were a favorite of mine growing up in the 80’s, has been
doing great things for Houston for over 3 decades. Less than 24 hours into the
floods, Mack opened his stores to flood victims and took his trucks out to pick
up those who were stranded. His slogan is, “Gallery Furniture Really Will SAVE
YOU MONEY!”…well now they have turned to saving lives as well! Finally, this
last hero story does not have a happy ending. Coach Ruben Jordan, who is being
referred to as a ‘beloved high school track and football coach’, lost his life
in the flood. Coach Jordan taught at Clear Creek for 28 years and is a hero because
of all the lives that he touched. He was never my track or football coach, but
I once told a girl to ‘shut up’ when he was nearby. He pulled me into a class
room and gave me a speech about ‘If you want respect you have to give respect…especially
to the girls in your life.’ For the rest of High School, whenever he saw me he
would say, ‘Ozzy…are you earning respect?’ He was not my track or football coach,
but he was my coach. Our Heroes are True Heroes!
So, Yes…I am from, and will always be from Texas. Even if I
never move back…for the rest of my life I will always be a Texan. I am proud of
my city, my state and my people, and my heart goes out to those who were
impacted by the storm. #HoustonStrong #TexasStrong #TexasPride
