Texas Longhorns and Crocodile Boots
The Texas Story Project.
“Pardon my Portuguese, but there’s too many gum d..n Americans in Texas,” a man so elegantly put in an HEB parking lot, leaving Theodore ‘Ted’ Villasenorloya staring in a mixture of confusion and surprise.
Ted had recently moved back to Texas after going to college at West Point and starting his Military career. He had previously been stationed in South Korea and now, just a month after moving back to Texas, Ted was making an early morning shopping trip. He hadn’t been there five minutes before a massive truck pulled into the parking lot – which for the time of day was abnormally packed. The Ford F350 had the horns of a Texas longhorn strapped to the hood. After circling the parking lot a few times, the vehicle finally ended up parking in a strictly “economy/compact” car spot. The man driving the truck stepped out from the driver’s side, wearing crocodile leather boots, and turned to his wife saying that so articulate phrase. After speaking his mind, he turned to Ted slightly awkwardly and said “Hi” to which Ted responded, “Howdy”. The whole interaction was about as Texan as one can get.
Ted went to high school in Texas and during his time then he only saw a small part of the Texan culture. Coming from a Hispanic background, Southern Texas was very usual for what he grew up with. After their time in Korea the Villasenorloya Family had the option to move to Washington, Hawaii, Europe, or Texas. Ted knew it was time to get back to the authentic Mexican food (not tex-mex), the brisket, the slow-paced way of life, and the Spanish language. What was so appealing about Texas was something Ted hadn’t realized until he’d left: the diversity of the lands there. It has its own ecological system: the deserts in West Texas, the hill country in Central Texas, the sub-tropical climate in South Texas, and the pine trees in East Texas. It’s a very appealing state to people from all over the U.S. The unique sense of Patriotism and Texas pride draws people to the state’s distinctive way of life. It’s what drew Ted and his family back to the wonderful state.
In 2017, recently after the Villasenorloya family had moved to San Antonio, Hurricane Harvey was expected to hit their newfound home. The arrival of the hurricane was greatly anticipated. It was one of the scariest events Ted had experienced in Texas, particularly because he had 2 kids (at the time) and a wife to look out for. Growing up on the West Coast, he had always felt immune to the dangers of hurricanes and had never had to prepare for such an event. Ted went into survival mode as soon as he heard the news, getting ample food and supplies to prepare his family for the expected disaster. Luckily, right before the intense storm was expected to tear through the city, the hurricane suddenly changed directions. Ted’s family was safe, but the experience slightly altered his perception of Texas.
From the time he was in high school until he moved back, Texas had changed. Lots of people with an indifference towards the Texas spirit had found homes in the great state, and in Ted’s opinion, it was for anything but the best. However, that’s the way progress works in the world, and with progress comes change. Texas is changing and the things that Ted once loved are slowly being replaced by common new and modern traditions. He decided that Texas, although a fond teenage memory, was not the right place for him to retire after leaving the military. So, despite his love of the tradition and lifestyle of the older Texas, it will never be what it once was.
Anna Lee is a sophomore at St. Mary’s University. She is a Mathematics Major with a concentration in actuarial science. She was born and raised in Spokane Washington. She grew up loving the outdoors and new adventures which is what led her to Texas. Her love of adventure inspired the decision to move halfway across the country to go to college.
Posted September 17, 2019
TAGGED WITH: St. Mary's University, stmarytx.edu
