Places I Love: Part Two

"Well, I've never been to heaven.
But I've been to Oklahoma."
- Three Dog Night

I'm known to hyperbolize, but I'm not going to compare the state of Oklahoma with the kingdom of heaven. There's no comparison, but like the song says, I've never been to heaven, yet I have been to the little slice of life known as Oklahoma, USA. And I miss it.

"But in her dreams she is far away, in Oklahoma USA."
- The Kinks

Now, I'm a Texas girl by heart and by birth, but I'm a Sooner bred. (And when I die, I'll be Sooner dead. Go ahead, you know you were singing the song.) When I moved up to Norman for school freshman year, I would have told you that I loved OU, but I didn't care a bit about the rest of the state. Over time I learned that you simply can't have one without the other.

"It blowed away, it blowed away. My Oklahoma home blowed away.
But my home is always near; it's in the atmosphere, My Oklahoma home that blowed away."
- Bruce Springsteen

Now that I'm removed from the home I made there, I find myself missing things - some strange and small, others much more significant - such as:

1. The wind - even if I did curse it while I was there. Sure the weather tends to be perfect here lately, and gosh-darn-predictable, which is nice when you're planning for the weekend, but there's something about that wind that you can't find anywhere else.
   
2. The food. I'm going to be in for a real culture shock in NY if I am having withdrawals from my Norman eateries while still in the South. I mean, I know it's no Classic 50s, but they don't even have Sonic up there! And don't get me started about Cafe Plaid. ;)
3. The way you can drive for miles and still see where you started from. Don't get me wrong, I think the landscape here in limbo is much more lovely than the flat plains, but they have their endearing qualities, you know?
4. The University. Boomer Sooner. Enough said.
   
5. The people. I've touched on my disdain for the manners (or lack thereof) here in Tennessee, so you'll understand why I miss the smiling faces of the general Oklahoma population. But then of course, there are the specific people in Oklahoma whom I love and miss dearly.
   

"You're the reason God made Oklahoma, and I'm sure missin' you."
- David Frizzell

Now here's the part where I get just a wee bit sappy. I would assume that most of the people reading this blog are people whom I met while at OU. With the addition of my family and a few select friends from my hometown, you are the people who best shaped me into who I am today, and helped put me on a path to what I will become tomorrow. So that's probably the number one reason that Oklahoma makes it onto the list of "Places I Love" - because of this state and its university, you all are a part of my life. Did I really just type "you all" instead of "y'all?" Gosh, I need to get back to Oklahoma/Texas soon.

"You be good and come to see us. Don't forget to write sometime.
Wake up in Oklahoma, where the chilly wind still blows.
Wake me up in Oklahoma to the only love I know."
- Jim Ed Brown and the Browns

Yeah, about that... If you're in the Norman area, I AM coming to see you. Very soon, in fact. And I'm VERY excited about it. Facebook/text/call me for more details, because I'm definitely not putting all THAT out there on the bloggy for any-old-body to see. But I can't end this post without saying one more, very important thing. Though I proudly claim the state of Oklahoma, I'm still 100% Texan, and there's nothing that will change that. I thought the following lyrics were wholly appropriate:

"Well now I don't mind going to Oklahoma. I never met an Okie that I didn't like. I don't mind New York City. Those Yankees talk funny but they're alright. ... Yeah I'm a hell-bent 100% Texan 'til I die." - Kevin Fowler

And so I'll leave you with this: