The Texas Two-Step

As you by now know we are celebrating Texas Independence during the month of March. Texas lays claim to a large number of distinctions including proclaiming itself independent from Mexico and becoming a republic - the Republic of Texas. So most of the crazy ideas that you foreigners hear about Texas are probably true.

Personally all of this celebration here at the Alterity office brought back memories of my moving to Texas as a teenager and learning to talk Texan. 'Y'all' is just the beginning. Thanks to our promo you have gotten a taste of the language before national TV and endless immigration from Yankee land normalized the language so that other 'Mercans could understand what is being said in the new and very improved Texas lexicon.

For those readers who are somewhat senior, please remember the movie "The Last Picture Show." Now that Jeff Bridges is an Academy Award winner many people have shown renewed interest in this great movie. I for one will never get it out of my mind. This was what I ran into as a teenager moving from a large northeastern city, Baltimore, to Austin.

It was a culture shock. Terms that I had never heard of before - football boys, bidness, fixen to, picture show, soda water - were strange to my ear. Since every teenager wants to fit in, I learned these real quick like. When I was getting ready for my first high school dance, I asked my new best friend, what the dress was. He said "Jeans." "Jeans?" What do you wear to a formal. "Jeans with a belt."



Kind Regards,

Ken Parker,
VP of Sales & Marketing