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It's Hard to Escape a Small-Town Upbringing
Much of my late childhood and early adulthood, which unfolded between
approximately 1985 and 1995, was spent rebelling and protesting over
what I thought was the narrow-mindedness of the citizens of Crowley (the
town where I went to high school), the perceived racism in my dad's
hometown of Cleburne, and the good ol' boy network all too prevalent in
my hometown of Fort Worth. I just knew that once I was enrolled in the
finest university located in the Texas mecca of the counterculture,
otherwise known as the University of Texas and Austin respectively, that
I'd free myself from the constraints of convention so often associated
with small-town Texas.
Well, let me tell you, once I arrived in
Austin, my suspicions were confirmed all too quickly that there were
narrow-minded folks in Crowley, and there was racism in Cleburne, and
there was a good ol' boy network in Fort Worth, but there were also
values, integrity, and a camaraderie in these towns that I sorely
missed. I picked up on the fact that the problems that plague teeny
Texas hamlets are just as pervasive in bigger towns. Lastly, I realized
that the uniquely laid-back, halcyon lifestyle I truly appreciated as a
child and young adult wasn't available in a thriving metropolis--the
environment in a bigger city just isn't conducive to taking one's sweet
time.
Over the years I've learned to combine my big-city
existence with my small-town upbringing. I guess what I'm saying is I've
learned to embrace the good, continue to fight the bad, and feel honored
that I grew up in a small town in Texas because that is where I learned
how to distinguish the good from the bad.
Laurie Gonzales
Austin, Texas
Published:
November 14,
2005
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