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I’m a fan of Anthony Bourdain’s show on the Travel Channel, “No Reservations.” If you haven’t watched it, I highly recommend it. Tony has a very open, but also skeptical perspective on things. There’s no room for BS in Tony’s world, particularly when it comes to food. In a recent episode, he visited the Texas/Mexico border and samples food and culture on both sides of the river. In addition to some pretty interesting insights into life on the border, he also said something that has helped me start understanding things here in Texas a little better. Effectively he said that if you take the Travel Bureau’s motto “It’s Like a Whole Other Country” literally, then Texas is a lot easier to understand if you’re not from here.

To that end, I went out this morning with my wife and dog to the Stock Show’s All Western Parade. Before, I would have scoffed at all the hicks riding their horses/burros/longhorns/wagons and made fun of them for deliberately living in the past. Since I’ve started of thinking of Texas more like a Texan thinks of it, as if it’s separate from the rest of the country, it’s starting to make a little more sense and is also becoming more enjoyable.

Today I watched the parade with that in mind, and I enjoyed seeing people who were obviously enjoying themselves, and are also rightly proud of their lifestyle and the things they’ve achieved. PeteG got some great pictures, I hope you enjoy them, and I hope you’ll come out to the Stock Show to experience some of it!