Sunday, April 17, 2005

I'm from Artesia, New Mexico?

So there you are, sitting with a group of newly acquainted people and what is one of the first questions usually asked... yup, "Where are you from?" I hate this question. In fact, I'll go so far as to say that I loathe this question. Why ask this? I have to say that for most this is an easy and simple question to answer. However, for persons such as I, it is most devestating and perplexing.

When you were born and raised in Texas but your parents up and moved you to the God-forsaken desert of New Mexico (in the middle of high-school, mind you) and then decided (for reasons you will never understand) to stay there, you should not be forced to say for the rest of you life (married or otherwise permently affixed) that you are from there. Oh the horror! So, when people ask this question, the Texan in me feels compelled, yes, even obligated, to speak up and recount the story of my transplantation.

I was sitting with a group of people just the other day. An older couple was accompanying the group and asking where everyone was from. I of course, told them, that, I was actually a native Texan, but that my parents lived in Artesia, New Mexico and so thats where I was from. Not a long narrative, but not the usual three word answer either. Hey, it never hurts to spice it up, right? So, when it came time for everyone in the room to introduce themselves and where they were from and whatnot, the older gentleman leaned over to me and said, "Just say you're from New Mexico," with a smug grin on his face.

What's there not to understand people? How would you feel if you had to move to New Mexico, a place some map companies "forget" to even put on United States maps? So, maybe I have some "You got to live in Texas and experiance high school Texas football your senior year" envy! But who could blame me? This is God's country people and I will forever annoy any person with my transplantion story for that very reason.

So the next time you here some sad sap of a transplantation story have some sympathy, their parents were abusive and may not have known any better. Unless of course, they're talking about moving from New York and longing to move back. Then my friends, well, just have pity.

1 comment:

GreatBeefalo said...

man, this sounds familiar! I just try to blow it off like its nothing important where Im from...or just say New Mexico, or switch it back to Texas like "I'm originally from Amarillo"