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Article of the Month
by Robin Jett
I'm a Texan by birth, and though I call the Lone Star
State home, there's just something about Oklahoma
that calls me out. I don't know what it is, exactly. But
whenever I cross the Red River into Oklahoma, I end
up breathing a little easier and feeling a little freer.
In my life I only spent one year in Oklahoma - in
Durant, to be exact. After my husband and I got
married, we lived in tiny garage apartment along with
big bugs and a broken fridge, eating Taco Casa
tacos night after night. I worked at the Sonic as a
carhop and some-time fry cook. I also went to
Southeastern Oklahoma State University, where I
developed a lifelong taste for learning and exploring
- a pursuit that eluded me in high school. Oh yeah,
and it was in Durant when I learned how to drive and
bought my first set of wheels (a 1978 Ford LTD we
named "Lulu"). So maybe that's why I love Oklahoma
- it's a memory bank of firsts for me.
But its history and geography fascinate me as well.
Oklahoma is a crossroads of all sorts of cultures and
the resulting culture clashes. European, African, and
Native Americans all share strong histories
throughout the state. Some of American history's
biggest tragedies have played themselves out on
Oklahoma soil, too, such as the Trail of Tears, Dust
Bowl, and the Oklahoma City bombing. However,
most of what makes America America has roots in
Oklahoma as well, like the cattle trails, the buffalo
hunts, Route 66, Will Rogers, and the Joads.
Oklahoma sits smack-dab in the middle of Tornado
Alley, and has the scars to prove it. Its cities and
towns can make one nostalgic, as the pace and look
reflect those by-gone days (providing there's no
Super Wal-Mart in the area). And the landscape, with
rusty red earth jutting out from beneath rocky hills
and sweeping prairies, paints an amazing picture.
I live an hour's drive south of the Oklahoma border.
Driving to cross the river is not that difficult, and I
do so at least twice a month. Sometimes, however,
just visiting doesn't do it for me, and I have to camp
out a while. When I do, I make sure to take my
camera along so that I can share the beauty that I
discover with you. Maybe you will see what I see in
the photos I've posted here. In any case, enjoy the
pictures, as they are my own little ode to Oklahoma.
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Library,
Frederick
Dorothy Lange
left his house cold or hungry"
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