A lady asked me about this one time.  She said she had taught in public schools in many states around the country. In every place she taught, children started the day by reciting the Pledge of Allegiance to the American flag.  But only in Texas did kids then turn to the state flag and offer similar allegiance. She asked me: “What’s that about?”

So I told her.

That’s about Colonel Travis drawing a line in the dirt at the Alamo. That’s about the sun coming up over the Gulf Coast, spreading out over the magnificent hills of Central Texas and setting in the Palo Duro Canyon.  It’s about barbecue or TexMex and then a high school football game on a Friday night. It’s about a DQ Blizzard on a hot Saturday afternoon.  It’s about Lyle Lovett, Van Cliburn, Janis Joplin, Johnny Mathis, and Willie Nelson.  It’s about Earl Campbell, The Tyler Rose, blasting across the goal line.  It’s about a poor kid from El Paso named Lee Trevino.  It’s about Nolan Ryan’s fastball.  It’s about the Kilgore Rangerettes.  I told her: you’re in a State with an Attitude, lady.  Get used to it.

DAWG BONE: HONOR THE TEXAS FLAG.  LONG MAY SHE WAVE.