Everythings Bigger in Texas

It’s amazing to me how unique each state’s culture is within the United States. I remember living in Southern California and the style and station of life there with the sun and sun loving people. There was a certain air of confidence and code of speech with quick, witty, savvy LA people.

Visiting here in Texas this week for my fathers funeral it’s been a culture shock of sorts for my brothers and I. The rate of speech is slow and the culture has its southern draw with a charm all it’s own to boot.

The people of Texas seem slower pace than my fast paced brothers are used. With my .com job and their owning their own businesses we are used to go go go and so it’s challenged us to slow down a bit to match and listen closely.

It was a peaceful blessing of a plane ride here. I got my own row on a non-stop Alaska Airlines flight with some great cushy leather seats. For those of you who don’t know I fractured a bone in my ankle the week prior to my father’s passing and so I had a medical boot thing on to help keep my ankle stable while traveling.

Having my own row made it so I could put up my foot the whole way there. The stewardesses on Alaska where so awesome, attentive and friendly. I plan on sending a thank you note to Alaska. They have always been my favorite Airline.

There has been a mountain of things to do since arriving and it’s kept me a bit from taking it in. The reality of how people you love live in another state when you don’t see them can be a shock when it is so different from your lifestyle.

I have never planned a memorial before and we are making it really simple like my father was. I have loved getting to spend time with my brothers and learning more about what’s going on in their lives that I ever would have gotten from just visiting for an occasion. When three kids live in three different states it makes it tough to know each other’s lives well.

I guess you could say we all three have different cultures from each other. Sean has his business www.lagunaprecast.com in California and Mexico importing. Mark has his business of an alarm system company in Nevada and I work as at a .com as a Travel agent of sorts in Washington state. We really all came from though this Texas where Mark and I were born.

I have heard the phrase “everything is bigger in Texas” before and I kind of agree with it from the time I have spent here thus far. The airport at DFW was quite large with several terminals spread out a bit. The mall we stopped at went on for a mile it seemed. The lay of the land seem to be a treeless wonder of flat land that went on forever.

A lot of the houses are on plots of land with spread out communities in place. The sunsets have been beautiful huge displays of colors stretched across the entire horizon. Even the hotel rooms seemed huge here. I have also seen several churches here with huge windows and steeples with lots of land around them.

I heard a joke a while back about God being closer in Texas than any other state. The punch line went something like when making a phone call to God in Texas there wasn’t any long distance charges and so it wouldn’t cost you much because here in Texas it was a local call.

I can see God here in the beauty of it but certainly not in the Mosquitos. They are definetly bigger here in Texas. Those skeeters are quite hungry for my sweet tasty Washington white girl legs.

Well… I am praying a lot here with it being a “local” call and all. I have a silly Texas song in my head to that made me smile a bit today. My brothers can also be goofy at times so it really helps to keep us positive in a tough situation. Wonder if my prayers coming from Texas might just be bigger coming in the mailbox in Heaven. I think God answers my knee-mail either way. :)

Fruit: Peace
Song in my head: All my Ex’s live in Texas
Verse: Isaiah 43:2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they will not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned; nor shall the flames scorch you