Lady Bird
It was around noon on Friday and I was sitting in my office at work. My boss had left about an hour earlier, and my side of the building had turned into a ghost town as it usually does on Fridays and Mondays. I wondered about my weekend plans, I really hadn’t thought of anything, and feel a twinge of guilt sometimes for not having any plan imagined. My schedule is wide open; I am childree (besides two cats and two dogs, all girls) unmarried, and unmortgaged. (is that even a word?)
I was swiveling around, imagining I was a fairy in a pond, as one does in a office swivel chair, listening to my local radio. I really enjoy the 90.1 KPFT archive. There’s so much stuff on here from music from every genre, conversations about art, science, even some politics. It is totally community funded radio, and the fund drives happen every quarter or so - if you have a solid variety of supporters who can donate to keep you on the air, the show gets renewed for the next quarter! Some of my favorites are All Systems Go, Border Radio, Long Time Running, Blues in Hi-Fi, Fifty Years After, DisCovered, and Flower Power Hour. (You’ll like any of these if you like folk, country, blues, indie alternative, rock n roll, R&B). I had stumbled upon a three hour show called, ‘No Expectations’, and it crackled through the computer speakers. The last three songs that had played were ’These Are The Days’ by 10K Maniacs, '54-46 Was My Number’ by Toots & The Mayals, and ‘Bob Wills is Still The King’ by Waylon Jennings.
When Waylon sings among the riff of the acoustic guitar, over the ambience of cheers, longneck beer bottles clinking on the floor, yips and yaps, "You just can’t live in Texas unless you’ve got a lot of soul.” It makes my soul smile a bit, because yes, of course, that is correct. Maybe I am a bit biased since I am a 4th Gen Native Texan, and if you knew me, you would agree. Friends of mine casually say, “Where are you off to this weekend, Miss Texas?”
Here is a photo that I took while passing through Junction, Texas.
I have decided over the last year or so to really document what Texas is through my point of view, in an age where the state, image, perception and pride is tumultuous at best. I don’t agree with the conservative politics, and the discourse that it brings. Texas used to be filled with bluebonnet fields that you could smell for miles. It used to be filled with small talk, anywhere you went. I once went on a field trip to LBJ Ranch and had stumbled across Lady Bird Johnson, (yes, the same Lady Bird Johnson that Hank Hill from KOH named his dog) she looked at my sunflower dress and said she LOVED it. I believe I was a second grader with two front teeth that had fallen out a week prior. I willnever forgot how she was thoughtful, sweet, kind, and compassionate about my teeth, and dress my mom had made. She was lovely in general and I believe anyone could attest to that. She was like a grandma you never had, but always wanted to have.
Here is a cowboy I took a photo of in Liberty, Texas. A small town outside of Houston, that has an industry of oil and gas, and chemical plants.
I’m a Texan in the way that Lady Bird was. I am kind, courteous and loving to others, unless I am disrespected. I want what’s best for everyone, I believe people should have a home, secure job, not have to worry about if they’ll be able to feed themselves or their familes at the end of the month. I grew up like that, and it’s something that I wouldn’t want anyone to have to grow through. I want people to love an appreciate the air we breathe (not including the carcinogenic gulf coast), the rivers we float, the dive bars that still retain so much memories, and the people who continue to preserve these places.
Here is a photo of a small liquor store, as I passed through Schulenberg, TX on the way to a dance hall.
Thank ya’ll for reading
#photographer #texas #landscape #thoughts #houston #austin #sanantonio