This is making it's rounds on FB. Figured I could post it here:
Do you know what it takes to be an Oklahoman? You probably don’t because to be an Oklahoman is to be nuts, balls-to-the-wall crazy, off-the-charts insane. You have to be.
In Oklahoma, when you pop out of your mama, the doctors give you the once over. They check your eyes, because they know you’re going to have to stare down EF4 tornadoes and not flinch. They check the gravel in your guts, because true grit’s making a living from hard, dry land — molding a life from red clay. And they check your heart, because to be an Oklahoman is to be the smack-dab center of the Heartland.
Then you grow up in Oklahoma with your “Yes, ma’ams” and “No, sirs” and “Ranch, pleases,” and you learn how to drive in a place where you reserve one hand for waving to the neighbors you know and the neighbors you don’t know just quite yet. Your sentences are peppered with words like “hook echo,” “vortex,” “Pushmataha,” “biscuitsngravy” and “might could.”
You go to school and you learn the history of your state, from the Trail of Tears to the land run to the Dust Bowl to the Tulsa Race Riot to April 19, 1995 to May 3, 1999. You understand that you come from misfits and mistakes and pain. A lot of pain. You realize you come from underdog stock. You listen to a lot of Woody Guthrie, and you really get what it means.
At some point, life punches you in the gut for the first time. You watch the hand of God come down, and an entire town disappears off the map.
You fall to your knees and you cry and you spit and you cuss the day and night. And then you get up.
You don’t waste your time asking the heavens why. There’s work to be done.
You see someone else shaking their fists at the sky, so you reach your hand down. And then they get up.
That’s what being an Oklahoman is. Being so goddamned resilient and perseverant that ain’t nothing or nobody can keep you down. I’ve been a lot of places, lived in a few of them, and met many great people. Without minimizing anyone else, Oklahomans are a different breed. When you’re a little guy used to getting kicked, you not only learn to pop back up but you become the first one to reach out to others.
Oklahoma isn’t a place. It’s something in your blood. It’s something that you do. It’s the shirt off your back and a tear in your eye and the giddyup in your soul.
As we watched the wreckage from this latest prizefight with nature, several people asked me if I had people there — in Moore, in Shawnee. The answer is unequivocally yes. Every ever-loving, bless-your-heart mumbler in that grand land is My People. And God help us, My People don’t give up and don’t give in.
I love you, Oklahoma, and I thank my lucky stars that I’m one of yours. And if you don’t start installing storm shelters in every public building, I’m fixin’ to raise some hell.
Anyone else read this in Sam Elliots voice?
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Two miles wide, that's freaking insane! I heard those F5s can get up to one mile wide, but 2?!
Wowza. That's pretty scary!
Surprised it hasn't been brought up yet, but makes me think about global warming and the seeming increase in extreme weather.
Even climate scientists would argue that you can't really look at a few years and draw any conclusions, but when you look at the tropical storms that have been hammering the east coast over the last couple years too...
I don't know, American history is scattered with monster tornados throughout their recorded history
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
Reports out of Moore, Oklahoma today are saying that the Westboro Baptist Church has been arrested while protesting the funeral of a child killed in the tornado. I think Oklahoma has a law that you cant protest within 1000ft of a funeral or something...
Whatever it is... F yeah.. I hate those Westboro bozos.
Reports out of Moore, Oklahoma today are saying that the Westboro Baptist Church has been arrested while protesting the funeral of a child killed in the tornado. I think Oklahoma has a law that you cant protest within 1000ft of a funeral or something...
Whatever it is... F yeah.. I hate those Westboro bozos.
Good to hear, although the Westboro church lives on lawsuits so we'll likely see one now.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
Look on my Works, ye Mighty, and despair!
The Following User Says Thank You to CaptainCrunch For This Useful Post:
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by CaptainCrunch
Good to hear, although the Westboro church lives on lawsuits so we'll likely see one now.
Yeah... but I mean it's a law so I don't really know what the could do. They didnt get a permit to protest so they were arrested. None the less one of the guys that lost home ( One of the guys we are doing a fundraiser for monday : Shameless Plug http://bit.ly/18lNE8A) finally got to go check on his house today... or what was left of it. Here are pics of it ... nothing there is NSFW but you might be sad to the point of tears :http://bit.ly/18oAEiC
Yeah... but I mean it's a law so I don't really know what the could do. They didnt get a permit to protest so they were arrested. None the less one of the guys that lost home ( One of the guys we are doing a fundraiser for monday : Shameless Plug http://bit.ly/18lNE8A) finally got to go check on his house today... or what was left of it. Here are pics of it ... nothing there is NSFW but you might be sad to the point of tears :http://bit.ly/18oAEiC
Westboro's law practice is based around civil rights law, they will attack the law itself.
__________________
My name is Ozymandias, King of Kings;
The cops should just announce they are releasing the Westboro freaks out front of what's left of the school and let the locals have a "quiet word" with them.
Reports out of Moore, Oklahoma today are saying that the Westboro Baptist Church has been arrested while protesting the funeral of a child killed in the tornado. I think Oklahoma has a law that you cant protest within 1000ft of a funeral or something...
Whatever it is... F yeah.. I hate those Westboro bozos.
They were in Tuscaloosa just last week to protest the vigil that we had for the 2 years after our tornado.
__________________
Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
so you're saying he was invisible just like his coaching in big games?
Bada bing! just kidding, gotta try to make you smile
__________________
Thank you for everything CP. Good memories and thankful for everything that has been done to help me out. I will no longer take part on these boards. Take care, Go Flames Go.
Last edited by PIMking; 05-28-2013 at 09:16 PM.
Reason: Thanks moe... Spell check screwed me
The Following User Says Thank You to PIMking For This Useful Post:
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by PIMking
so you're saying he was invisible just like his coaching in big games?
Bada bing! just kidding, gotta try to make you smile
Well that's not the way to make me smile.. but good zinger. We can't really pay our players to come play though so we will have to continue to let the SEC win titles until they go ahead and let all the schools pay their players like they allow the SEC to do.
Not at all, as I've said, I would rather start with LA over any of the other WC playoff teams. Bunch of underachievers who look good on paper but don't even deserve to be in the playoffs.
Location: Oklahoma - Where they call a puck a ball...
Exp:
Quote:
Originally Posted by HOOT
Same area?
Yup... Sirens went off in Moore but have since subsided. The storm is now south of us. Dryline fired really early and is now firing again since we are no entering the prime "heating" part of the day. I'm hoping all of these fall apart.
