Just Plain Texas

by Kristi Parker

Blog Last Updated; 10/27/2009

My daughter T got married last month at a lodge near Purgatory (alias Durango Mountain Resort), drawing an influx of Texas relatives to southwest Colorado.

I'm often a little nervous when those folks hit town. I never know how they're going to react to the eccentricities of Colorado life. My mom loves the mountains and has always longed to live here, so I don't worry about her. But other people are just plain Texas.

For example, my ex-husband visited Durango last year for Fourth of July. We (he, his wife, our kids and grandkids) all walked downtown to the farmers market. The minute he stepped into the market, he proceeded to loudly complain about all the "blankity-blank hippies" walking around. I was mortified and, in spite of his new wife's presence by his side, ordered him to stop.

"Don't you dare come to Durango and make fun of the natives. That's like me going to the Wal-Mart in Decatur and pointing out all the rednecks!" I hissed, referring to his hometown back in Texas.

During the wedding weekend, my niece M, who traveled here from Austin, told a humorous story about a car rental clerk she encountered at the Durango airport.

"I was trying to get directions to the lodge, and he told me to take 550 north towards Silverton," M laughed. "Then he said, ?If you get to the mountain you've gone too far.' I thought, ?Are you kidding?? You're talking to a Texan here. WHICH mountain?'"

I knew exactly what he meant by "the mountain." He was referring to Purgatory, of course. In defense of the car-rental clerk, I rushed to explain this to M. But she really didn't care. She just thought that it was funny and is probably even now retelling the story to her friends back in Austin.

As you can tell, I take offense at any negative comments made about my Colorado.

But the thing is, I just want everybody to love Colorado the way that I do. I want them to see it through my eyes, hippies and all, and to be changed by it the way that I have been.

Some fellow Texans I have been able to convert. Some, like my ex, never will.

And that's okay, because what would Texas be without the likes of him?

Saturday, November 07, 2009
at 9:34:14 AM

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Taylor says:

Ha ha... thats so true about those Texans...I didn't know that about dad and the farmers market... not surprised though about dad. Love you, keep up the great writing!!