True Texan or The Texas Attitude

True Texan or The Texas Attitude
By Cindy Rodd Ruffino






Texas is as unique as the people that call it home. I guess you can say I was fortunate enough to be born in this great state. Over a lifetime of observation I have discovered that not every True Texan was born here. Texas was originally Mexico and years ago a wise man, an Impresario named Stephan F. Austin looked at this vast beautiful land and felt that with the right settlers this place would be wonderful. In order to get your acreage you had to become a citizen of Mexico and become a Catholic along with a few other promises. Without going into a history lesson things changed, a majority of the settlers disagreed, and soon battles for freedom were fought. One of the most famous battles was the battle fought at the Alamo. The men who fought and died trying make Texas free from the rule of Mexico were not Texans. They were here to stand with those whom believed Texas would be a better place if it were its own country. In my years of school and helping my children through their school years I came to believe that these early settlers set the way for what I call the Texas attitude. Even our current President the great George W. Bush has what I call the Texas attitude. The outspoken, opinionated, stubborn personality that will stand by what they think is right even if maybe they are not entirely right. My father had this attitude from time to time and yes reader so have I. There are many great leaders in our past that are from Texas, are also living proof that we Texans have a special way about us. The late President Lyndon B. Johnson was a great example. I remember one History Professor in my College years that told a story of how our illustrious leader loved to hold his cabinet meetings while sitting naked on the toilet. Now that is what I call a True Texan.

I like how it is said that everything is bigger in Texas. I’m sure there are objections to that rule but believe me you do not want to argue with a Texan. I have been married to the same man for 27 years and I will tell you now that he has that Texas attitude. He is a native Houstonian, not the brightest crayon in the box thanks to the old just pass them rule, but when he thinks he is right he gets this little sparkle in his eye, and then he gets a little smirk on his face, crosses his arms and will argue with you no matter how many times you prove him wrong. By God he knows what he’s talking about. I have learned to keep my sanity I just shrug it off and walk away. Maybe that is another part of the Texas attitude I’m right and what’s the use arguing.
My father was a wise man with many tales about what the Houston area was like when he was growing up. I loved to hear about Houston and the surrounding areas. He told of a road named Jack rabbit road. As a little girl I imagined this to be a dirt road with a long patch of green running down the middle. I envisioned my father as a young man walking down this road in his bare feet hunting rabbits. A few years later while looking for a friend’s house that had moved out to the Cypress area I saw Jack Rabbit road. I ask my father if this was the same road he told us of and he confirmed the location. I was disillusioned to see it paved with signal lights. I told my children this story one day as we passed the FM 1960 area that was once Jack Rabbit Road. The bustling corridor to numerous businesses and cookie cutter subdivisions just seemed like an unlikely place to once be called Jack Rabbit Road.

I loved hearing stories about Houston from my father and wished he was still with us so he could tell my children about the places that were. I feel they have lost out on a wonderful experience. Time has erased many of those stories from my mind. Then I remember riding in the back seat of our station wagon looking at miles of country on both sides of the road. I remember the amazing Good Year Blimp base and how it was surrounded by nothing but fields of cows. Today there is no blimp base. The only thing that is there to show that it once existed is a patch of cement and a chain link fence off to the side of a Lowe’s Home Improvement. Things like this I can tell my children because I lived it. I sometimes feel like I am carrying on for my father. They all remember once seeing the blimp overhead and the sound or its motor humming as it passed by. That was possibly the last flight that she flew over the Houston area before she retired. I told them of warm summer nights as a child lying in the grass of our back yard watching the dancing lights as the blimp flew over our Heights home. I can tell them of magical places like the Shamrock Hilton, of Dance Town USA, Gilleys, fishing in Oyster Creek, miles and miles of pastures with longhorn cattle all gone by the way of growth. They can tell their children of showing their rabbits in 4-H at the Astrodome, of Astroworld, the Good Year Blimp, Peppermint Park and other memories that are gone by the way of a little something called progress.
I remember a man once told me “I may not have been born in Texas but I got here as soon as I could.”
There are a few famous people that were not born in Texas but not only call Texas home but they have formed that opinionated attitude that I have come to call a Texas trait. Both Former President George H Bush and our present President George W. were born else where but have adapted to the Texas way. I remember upsetting a few Bush supporters when he first took office. One lady nearly had a fit when I told her that I liked ole W he had the attitude to make Texas proud. She went off on me telling me I should be ashamed that George W. Bush was a gift from God and he was going to save this country. Since I do not believe in discussing politics in public I gathered my purchases and left the store. My husband whom does not like ole W at all, assumed his I know what I’m talking about stance and proceeded to argue with the woman. Since she was the only cashier at that particular corner mega corporation drug store I had to turn around and literally drag him out of the store before the police were called or the woman lost her job. She was still screaming about praying and her God sent President as we drove out of the parking lot. I tried to explain to my other half that there was a time and place to discuss politics and religion and I felt the corner drug store was not the place.
Another Texan that was not born here is the Singer, writer, humorist who just recently ran for Governor, Richard Kinky Friedman. I must say I have never heard his music but I love his mystery novels. I don’t know if he has that Texas attitude but I do know that he has a great Texas sense of humor. He has been known to say things in jest and have it taken the wrong way. I must say, so have I, and just about every other native Texan I know. My youngest son is the same way. I tell him look not everyone gets your humor so you have to be careful what you say. I remember once when I was being loaded into the back of an ambulance on my way to the emergency room when he said in jest “Hey mom while you’re their maybe you can ask for some liposuction and breast realignment. I laughed but the Deputy Sheriff that was standing nearby took that Texas stance and chewed him a new one. The Deputy did not know our ongoing joke about me trying to train my breast to sit up and beg but all they could learn was lay down and play dead. He thought my son was being abusive to me. My son told him that it was a joke and even though my five foot five frame was shadowed by his six foot two frame he was afraid of me.
One Christmas holiday season I was employed by a company that has the Santa set up in a local mall. I had a particular hard time finding a good Santa. One gentleman came in with a beard and he seemed to fit the Santa role but also once he discovered that this was the first holiday season without my father decided he would be my father figure also. It is not an easy thing to tell Santa to butt out. After meeting my husband whom was out of a job and observing his way of dealing with me and my Texas I know what I’m doing attitude he decided I need his advice. He sat me down in Santa’s chair before the mall opened and told me that I was an intelligent and pretty young woman and I did not deserve to be treated in the manner I was accustomed. He told me flat out to get rid of the husband I would be better off raising my children alone. I was shocked. When I told him that he needed to stick to Santa business and leave me alone he became upset with me. He demanded to know why I chose to stay with such a jerk. I looked up at him and replied “ In 1980 I made a promise in a church to god, my family and my husband that I would be there for him in good times and bad, in sickness and health, till death do us part. It is not my fault the till death do you part thing was taking so long.” He did not know what to say and at least gave me a couple days peace before he lectured me again. Years later my mother saw the gentleman at a donut shop and he ask her” Hey is Cindy still living with that Asshole?” It is sad to say but he was not the first to ask that question and certainly not the last. My mother said she has come to expect it when ever she sees someone that she has not seen in quite awhile. I know these people mean well and this is another example of being a good Texan.
Many of you probably do not agree with me on my Texas attitude theory and you’re probably thinking well this was just a waste of time reading this dribble. All I ask is sit back and watch. Take the time to observe our leaders, our coworkers, our friends and anyone else you happen to see. When something is said or done that they do not agree with if they are a true Texan the attitude will show itself.