I miss the old Texas (Austin, Ranger: moving to, oil, horses)

[stillkit]

You know...the Texas which was unique, the Texas where Texan's were By Gawd Texan's in cowboy boots and hats; self-reliant, tough, unimpressed by false fronts, not the self-absorbed, whiney metro-sexuals in sneakers we have today.

This song, written as theme music for a TV special about Lyndon Johnson's Texas evokes that old Texas for me. If you never saw the Hill Country before Austin swallowed it up, you missed a taste of Texas which we'll never find again, but maybe you old timers will remember it when you hear this.


Hill Country Theme - YouTube

[Nairobi]

Growing up in urban, eastern Texas, I simply can't relate. I'm sorry for your loss, though.

The Texas I've known and loved, embraces all walks of life, and not just some romanticized image of the cowboy hero.

[catman]

The "old Texas" has passed into legend, which gives an inaccurate picture. Sure, there were a lot more cowboys then, but the towns had the equivalents to today's 'metrosexuals', and not all of the cowboys were admirable sorts. People are people, through the ages.

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by catman

The "old Texas" has passed into legend, which gives an inaccurate picture. Sure, there were a lot more cowboys then, but the towns had the equivalents to today's 'metrosexuals', and not all of the cowboys were admirable sorts. People are people, through the ages.

It's not so much the cowboy image modern day Texas is missing. It's that can-do attitude. See a problem? Go fix it yourself. Those old Texans, even as late as the 1960's, were descendants of Texas Rangers, cattlemen and farmers, who relied on their own grit, determination and resourcefulness to carve out their niche in the world.

It's hard to verbalize, but that Texas magic, the kind of Texan who was known world-wide as a no-nonsense, practical, hands on dynamo is missing in large part, replaced by outsiders who..well...just aren't Texans. They don't think like Texans, they don't act like Texans, they don't even look like Texans. They're soft and pliable, not hard and unyielding. Never having gotten any oil in their veins or sand in their boots, never having battled a drought or blue norther to survive, they're not impressed with Texas as a unique place because they didn't grow up here.

It's just...different now, and not for the better.

[JJG]

Originally Posted by stillkit

It's not so much the cowboy image modern day Texas is missing. It's that can-do attitude. See a problem? Go fix it yourself. Those old Texans, even as late as the 1960's, were descendants of Texas Rangers, cattlemen and farmers, who relied on their own grit, determination and resourcefulness to carve out their niche in the world.

It's hard to verbalize, but that Texas magic, the kind of Texan who was known world-wide as a no-nonsense, practical, hands on dynamo is missing in large part, replaced by outsiders who..well...just aren't Texans. They don't think like Texans, they don't act like Texans, they don't even look like Texans. They're soft and pliable, not hard and unyielding. Never having gotten any oil in their veins or sand in their boots, never having battled a drought or blue norther to survive, they're not impressed with Texas as a unique place because they didn't grow up here.

It's just...different now, and not for the better.

.... I don't think I wanna get into this one.

[love roses]

Originally Posted by stillkit

You know...the Texas which was unique, the Texas where Texan's were By Gawd Texan's in cowboy boots and hats; self-reliant, tough, unimpressed by false fronts, not the self-absorbed, whiney metro-sexuals in sneakers we have today.

This song, written as theme music for a TV special about Lyndon Johnson's Texas evokes that old Texas for me. If you never saw the Hill Country before Austin swallowed it up, you missed a taste of Texas which we'll never find again, but maybe you old timers will remember it when you hear this.


Hill Country Theme - YouTube

I know what you mean, but I think it's a generational thing.
My parents taught me that I wasn't too good to get my hands dirty and lots of kids nowadays aren't.

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by love roses

I know what you mean, but I think it's a generational thing.
My parents taught me that I wasn't too good to get my hands dirty and lots of kids nowadays aren't.

Sure, that's it. I'm just another old guy who longs for the past sometimes.

But, I have to admit that when I see someone posting here and they say something like, "I'm thinking of moving to Texas," I want to answer..."Please don't!"

[Cathy4017]

Originally Posted by stillkit

Sure, that's it. I'm just another old guy who longs for the past sometimes.

But, I have to admit that when I see someone posting here and they say something like, "I'm thinking of moving to Texas," I want to answer..."Please don't!"

I understand exactly.....25 million and counting. Texas WAS a lot better 30 years ago, but that's just my opinion.

Happy Independence Day, Texas!

[stillkit]

Originally Posted by Cathy4017

I understand exactly.....25 million and counting. Texas WAS a lot better 30 years ago, but that's just my opinion.

Happy Independence Day, Texas!

Did you know that in 1960, the population of Texas was just over 9 million? That's nearly a 3 fold increase in just half a century! What used to be wide-open spaces is now filled with McMansions for our "beloved" immigrants from the Northeast and the Left Coast. Urban sprawl is covering the land, especially east of the Balcones. In that same year, Austin was a sleepy little burg of about 180,000 hardy souls. Now, it's approaching 800,000 and the urban area is over a million.

[Johnhw2]

Originally Posted by stillkit

You know...the Texas which was unique, the Texas where Texan's were By Gawd Texan's in cowboy boots and hats; self-reliant, tough, unimpressed by false fronts, not the self-absorbed, whiney metro-sexuals in sneakers we have today.

This song, written as theme music for a TV special about Lyndon Johnson's Texas evokes that old Texas for me. If you never saw the Hill Country before Austin swallowed it up, you missed a taste of Texas which we'll never find again, but maybe you old timers will remember it when you hear this.


Hill Country Theme - YouTube

I remember the old Texas too, rode horses rather than high speed cars on tollroads, no a/c to help with summer heat, jobs were outdoors not in soft a/c buildings. Progress changes things, some very good some easy to forget.