To start my story off, let me start with a friend of mine. One of my closest friends. This is a guy who will do anything for a friend. Just with me, he has helped me when my times were extremely tough. If it weren't for him, my family wouldn't have had a Thanksgiving or a Christmas this year. He has tried to help me better myself for my family. And this is just me. I can't imagine how he is with friends he has known longer. All I know is that this is the type of person I would have been honored to serve with during my term in the Army. The one thing I don't understand, all the women in his life have claimed their undying love, but this is a story only in Texoma. Recently, he met "the one" and she said that she felt the same. They worked through many problems, mainly regarding her ex-husband, who she was still sharing a house with. But they swore they wanted to be together, and she told him that he was the one she wanted. The times they were together was magical. They made plans to just pack up and move away to Austin together, to start a family, get married and live together happily ever after. Almost a fairy tale. But then again, this is Texoma, and happy endings are not allowed. Less than 24 hours after making their blissful arrangements, my friend goes over to her house to pick her up. Low and behold, she is in bed with her ex-husband. She tells my friend that she decided to go back with him. Both families were in shock. No warning, and many questions left unanswered. Did she ever really mean it, or was she just using him for thrills? How could someone throw away "the love of a lifetime"? All I know, this just shows how people live and love in a disposable society. It is only useful until you can toss it aside. No care what anyone else thinks, or feels. And this is just one story in a forest of tales. He is not the only one. I have heard story after story after story about how the women up here throw their marriage vows to the wind, until they need to act good. Then they put on the veil of good behavior until they can throw away their vows to play with the next guy's emotions.
Of course, it doesn't stop there. I have heard stories of women in the surrounding area which have had to give up their jobs, which they have become successful in, just to move away because their husband was having an affair. In this area, affairs are more of a hobby. It isn't who is having an affair, it is who isn't. People act like the heart is something you go into Wal-Mart to buy. You can pick up a couple over in Health and Beauty Aids, just because you know they are going to break. And while you are there, why not run over to toys and pick up a new collection of feelings. It just doesn't make sense. Is everyone here just so insensitive that they are just immune to matters of the heart?
But to continue on with a matter closer to my heart. If you follow our blog, I am sure you read Lissa's story "After 31+ years, ..." A controversy within her own family which started with one picture.
A picture which I found a little humorous. But apparently this area has their Bible Belt too tight around their waist. Her family found no humor in it, and called her atheist for sending this out. To me, religion doesn't have to be so stiff that a person cannot joke or to have fun. What is life without just a bit of humor or fun. I don't find the need to be rigid about a King James idyllic version of Jesus in a Village People routine. Are we supposed to be that tight lipped? I am a religious person, but I grew up in a religion that was a bit more fun, and made learning about the life of Christ an interesting and enjoyable endeavor. But here, the tight lipped people have no room to laugh. At first I assumed it was because of the fact that most of the people on Lissa's father's side of the family are ministers. Okay, maybe they are more strict. They work at churches, write Christian music. Okay, maybe they have a place to complain. The most recent person to become an ordained minister in this family is Jason. He has gone on Missionary missions, written original Christian music, and has his own congregation. Impressive person. He just got married, came back from his honeymoon, and posted pictures on his Myspace account.
I can see where this minister would be held in higher regards than his own cousin, my wife. I can see why Lissa's aunts and uncles put her down and this guy does no wrong. Everyone in her family says they don't judge, and they are the last to judge, but then again, Jason the minister told everyone to be ware of the "whale over his shoulder" in this picture. I guess it is a minister's way of showing "love thy neighbor."
Yes, this is the attitude of people up here. It doesn't just end with customers, people on the street, or idiots driving down the road, no it goes with family as well. Even they consider family disposable. Just because Lissa's grandmother didn't like her mother. Now the family prejudices have carried on even over 11 years after the grandmother's death. But fortunately, they "don't judge." Even Jason's sister, who has had 2 children by "immaculate conception", if you ask the family. In a quote, when the question about race on one of these miracle babies was raised, the answer was "they are Elms." But yet, Lissa has never been accepted as a legitimate member of the family. Again, Wal-Mart must sell family loyalties. It is sad how easily you can throw away even family.
Final case in point. We live just outside of Whitesboro in a small residential area. The house next door to us has been foreclosed on. We watched as they came out and changed the locks, so we expected people to be out working on the house. A couple of days later, a truck came to the house and got stuck in the yard. We took pictures of the truck stuck in the yard and the damage it was doing.
I went to work and came back that night realizing that there was a pile of trash in the neighbors yard. I went out and looked through the pile and was able to match up the trash to the items in the back of the truck.
So, this goes to prove that everything is so disposable, people are willing to dump their trash in a neighbor's lawn. But think this is where the story ends? No, it still goes on. I took this story of this truck dumping his trash in the lawn to Environmental Protection Officer of Grayson County, Jim White; Grayson County Commissioner Precinct 3, Honorable Jacki Crisp; Grayson County Constable Precinct 3, Todd Booher; Justice of the Peace Precinct 3, Mike Reeves; Grayson County Clerk Aimee McAdoo; Grayson County Director of Planning, Jim White; Commissioner Precinct 1, Honorable Johhny Waldrip; Constable Precinct 1, CC “Buddy” Wade; Justice of the Peace Precinct 1, Honorable Gregory J. Middents; Grayson County Sheriff’s Office Chief Deputy, Ron Brown; Whitesboro Chamber of Commerce; Janis Crawley, Director, WIDCO/WEDCO; Charlie Haldeman, KXII News Director; KXII Newsroom. Out of all of these people, I figured someone would do something. To date, not a single person has contacted me, not a single person has replied, not a single call returned, no one has come out, and no one has even cared. That is Texoma. A place where you can dispose of your trash anywhere you want, and no one cares.
In my last trip to Houston, I made a realization. Almost halfway between here and Houston you cross over Bliss Creek. Aptly named. Everything South is almost like climbing the stairway to heaven. But crossing to the north puts you on the Escalator to Hell..... Find me someone with community pride. Find me someone who cares. Find me someone who still has morals. To me, no pride, not caring and no morals is hell.
I prefer the real life. Where illegal activities are still persecuted by law. Where people still know the meaning of love. And where there is still humor and no judgements. Maybe I am going to hell, but at least I know it is still a step above North Texas. I will be bettering myself. And I will be in great company. Side by side with my loving wife who I support completely, my sons who I have instilled by same sense of humor, my caring parents who taught me to be the person I am, and the teams at Entertainment Weekly, TV Guide, SciFi Channel, and the cast and crew of Battlestar Galactica. Amen.
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