Fact: I was born in Wichita Falls, Texas.
Fact: I lived in a wonderful small town in north central Texas for the first ten years of my life.
Truth: In spite of these facts, I consider myself an Okie, through and through.
You see, my family's roots run deep in Oklahoma. On my dad's side, many generations lived, worked, farmed, and raised families in a small town in the southwest part of the state near the Wichita Mountains. My mom's parents were both raised in the state capitol of Oklahoma City. They met downtown at a dance in the early 1930's. Both of my parents, their parents, and their parents' parents have lived their lives here, loving the land, the people, and the slower paced culture this state provides. My great grandparents chose to stay here during the Dust Bowl when many others left for California. You have to be tough (or stubborn) to stay during a tough time like that. I think their independent, stick to your guns attitude is quite admirable, and I'm proud to be a part of that lineage.
When we lived in Texas, we came to Oklahoma for every Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Summer Vacation. We would cheer when we crossed the Red River and saw the "Welcome to Oklahoma" sign. I think I knew even then that I was going home. That's not to say I wasn't sad when me moved from Texas to Oklahoma City when I was ten years old. I was nervous to move to a new home, a new school, etc. But I was also a little bit excited to be living so near the family that I loved to visit. Soon after I started fifth grade, I settled in to life in the Sooner State. And twenty five years later I can honestly say this is my home. No matter where I live in the future, Oklahoma will always be my home.
Do you have a place that you will always call home?
