Oklahoma and Oklahoma State competed this past weekend for the Big 12 Championship in their annual rivalry game known as Bedlam. A game in which I have always enjoyed since I was younger. Especially after I moved to Edmond, Oklahoma (constantly surrounded by bright orange and crimson) from Midland, Texas the summer before my 8th grade year. I've always had ties to the state of Oklahoma. I have family there, and my grandpa played football for OU, but I'd never really thought about the state until we moved there.
When people in Lubbock ask me where I from, I say: "I'm currently from Oklahoma." The usual response is "That sucks" or "At least you made the right decision" or some other hit at Oklahoma. It's funny because people don't realize that when you say something negative about someones hometown, they're usually going to get offended and it's just an immature response to me. There's really no need for the pessimism, especially against something someone loves and is proud of. I'm also a Texan, born (San Angelo) and raised (Midland). I had to move to Oklahoma with my family for my dads new job. When I get the "At least you made the right decision response" I always say yes I did, but it's not because I left Oklahoma, it's because I did what I wanted to do, I followed my heart back to my first home and that's west Texas. I did not do this because I wanted to get out of Oklahoma, a place I grew to love.
When I moved to Oklahoma and learned about the foolish feud between Oklahoma and Texas I was all over it. I bragged to my new Oklahoma friends about how great Texas is and when Tech pulled out a win against OU. I annoyed them with my Texas pride, my Texas ego. But then as I lived there a little longer I started to realize how cool and underrated Oklahoma really is. Also, how similar it is to Texas. I started to question this hate between Texas and Oklahoma and I really saw no reason for it. Is it the Red River Rivalry? A freaking football game, a sports event that, in the grand scheme of things, is totally irrelevant? That, unfortunately, plays a big role in it. There's more things I've heard people say about Oklahoma that aren't very nice, like Oklahoma being a state of rednecks and trailer trash. Texas doesn't have any rednecks right?
This is not me defending Oklahoma as the better state in any way. In fact, I strongly believe that Texas is a significantly better state and after living in both. My experiences in Texas have been better. I just don't understand this ignorant feud between two similar states that are both dominantly conservative, both in the so-called "Bible Belt" and both with universities in the same conference. It kills me that people that have never lived, or even worse, been to Oklahoma, talk crap about it and judge the people that are from there. That is the epitome of ignorance. Come to Oklahoma and I can show you just how great it is and just how similar it is to Texas. I can show you Oklahoma City, an awesome and flourishing city. We can go to a Thunder game and watch Russell Westbrook get another triple-double. Even Stillwater and Norman are pretty cool towns. Tulsa, another wonderful city. Even Edmond, the best suburb in the United States. There's great hunting and fishing, some mountains, and of course, noodling.
This division between Oklahoma and Texas, two states connected by I-35, is just another enhancement of the dumb division going on in the United States, it's pointless, irrelevant and ignorant. Calling Okies dumb is like calling a Trump supporter racist and misogynistic. It's definitely not true for the majority of them. We can all agree that Texas is better, because of course, Texas is the best state in the universe. We just don't have to hate Oklahoma while we're at it, because as much as you may hate to admit it, Oklahoma is just like Texas and it's pretty neat too. Texas and Oklahoma should unite in their similarities, not divide in they're few distinctions.
I'm proud to say I am currently from Oklahoma attending Texas Tech University, a school in west Texas, my first home and love. I'm a Texan with a little bit of Okie and I'm okay with that. You should be too.
