Have to admit I love the terrain in the mountains, but you can't beat the people of Oklahoma.
I'll say this. Over my lifetime, I've been fortunate/unfortunately able to travel over every part of this world with the exception of the middle east.
Military and civilian.
When getting out of the Military, I had the option to relocate just about anywhere in the world. I've lived for periods of time in Asbury Park NJ, New York City, Tokyo Japan, Pusan Korea, etc, the list goes on, and visited many others all over the world.
No matter where I went, the people knew about Oklahoma and Texas. The last of the great west. They still want to see where the Native Americans roamed, buffalo grazed, etc. The reputation of the oil patch has made the name recognition as well.
I chose to come back to Oklahoma. Its not a nostalgic thing or anything like that. I'm of the opinion that my home is the square foot my feet are standing in at the moment.
Its because I knew a lot of people, and I loved the lifestyle of the folks around my home town. I know this sounds redneck, but some of the old guys would put on weekend BBQ's. The young uns' would have to go out and butcher the goats, and a cow or two, for some true pit BBQ's.
BBQ guns were always in the open, way before it was legal.
I can hunt and fish just about anywhere by dropping a name of somebody that is a big land owner for a reference.
I can't stand to go to any metro area anymore. OKC/Tulsa is the nearest, and I would be in the headlines for a mass killer after driving around those folks for any time.
Rural life is much slower. We moved some folks from LA to Ponca in the early 90's when we shut the plant down out there. They couldn't stand the slower pace of life, and went back to the rat race. Good riddance.
Anyway, life in Ok is great.
Military and civilian.
When getting out of the Military, I had the option to relocate just about anywhere in the world. I've lived for periods of time in Asbury Park NJ, New York City, Tokyo Japan, Pusan Korea, etc, the list goes on, and visited many others all over the world.
No matter where I went, the people knew about Oklahoma and Texas. The last of the great west. They still want to see where the Native Americans roamed, buffalo grazed, etc. The reputation of the oil patch has made the name recognition as well.
I chose to come back to Oklahoma. Its not a nostalgic thing or anything like that. I'm of the opinion that my home is the square foot my feet are standing in at the moment.
Its because I knew a lot of people, and I loved the lifestyle of the folks around my home town. I know this sounds redneck, but some of the old guys would put on weekend BBQ's. The young uns' would have to go out and butcher the goats, and a cow or two, for some true pit BBQ's.
BBQ guns were always in the open, way before it was legal.
I can hunt and fish just about anywhere by dropping a name of somebody that is a big land owner for a reference.
I can't stand to go to any metro area anymore. OKC/Tulsa is the nearest, and I would be in the headlines for a mass killer after driving around those folks for any time.
Rural life is much slower. We moved some folks from LA to Ponca in the early 90's when we shut the plant down out there. They couldn't stand the slower pace of life, and went back to the rat race. Good riddance.
Anyway, life in Ok is great.
I work all over the U.S. Okies are by far the best.
Agreed. I'm always thankful for the really horrid weather we have here in the Sooner state. Hell, if it wasn't so blasted hot in the summer and so frickin' windy in the winter, 30 or 40 million people might want to live here, ruining it for the rest of us.
You never know what you have until you leave it behind. I got restless years ago and moved to Texas then lived in Michigan and North Dakota. The 4 years in North Dakota was the clincher. I had to come back home. To me there is nothing like Oklahoma whether you live in the city or rural areas.
I'm with you Dennis. I've been all over the world with the military and in the C-130 world, you tended to stay there a while. But for every great thing I've seen over there, I've seen 10 greater things here in Oklahoma. I do see a change in some of the rural areas as the older folks that went thru the Dust Bowl days are passing, but still like living out in the sticks. Just today, saw a neighbor had a couple of cows out and on the dirt road. Never spoke with the guy who owned them before, but when he stopped and saw me herding them back into his gate, he did thank me and we stood around and shot the bull for awhile. I like that.
We drive fast and talk slow. I am glad this is my home.
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Sent from my Ford F-150 using Forum Runner
Thats what I'm talking about. You can just about walk up and start a conversation with anybody in a rural area. Do them a favor and you have a friend for life.
Like you said, the rural folks are aging with not many to take their place. Farm kids have discovered the internet, and they want to get off the farm and get to the big city in a lot of cases.
The farmers that are left are working more and more ground, as folks leave the farm due to the tough life, or corporate farms buying them out.
We are a tough breed by nature.
