Why I love Oklahoma...

There is one thing that will never change about me- I am a true Okie at heart. I might travel the world and do some crazy activities (I watched Step-Brothers recently if you couldn't tell), but there is nothing that can ever compete with Oklahoma in my mind. While there are a million and one reasons that I love it, here is why I was inspired to write this post:

One day recently I had to go Kinko's (now Fed Ex but I refuse to call it so) to send something through Fed Ex. I haven't ever done this before and there are all sorts of envelopes and packing slips and what not. I picked the envelope out that fit my items, and then I narrowed down my options of sending forms to the one that looked like I might be able to use. I filled out what I knew, and the rest of the form was jibberish to me and I wasn't sure if it was one of those "official use only" areas. So, I attempt sealing the envelope and succeeded, then took my uncompleted things to the counter. The woman looked like she hated her job, and I had better know what I am doing. Oops. I told her, "I haven't used Fed Ex before so I don't know if I did it right." She then proceeds to half me a bunch of questions to finish filling out my form-- apparently it wasn't "official use only" and I fail. Half of her questions I didn't really know the answer to and just guessed. I probably grabbed the wrong form. Oops again.

I finally have everything completed and I want to pay. Then she walks away with my envelope to do secret official Fed Ex things, I suppose. Maybe she just had to answer a phone call. Who knows. To her, I could wait. I was just the stupid college kid in front of her who doesn't know how to use Fed Ex. As I am waiting, an old man enters the store. We exchange smiles, and then my woman is back and I pay. As I am leaving, the old man says, "It's unbelievable isn't it?" I say, "Huh?" thinking he is talking about the prices of mailing things or something. Then he says, "The weather." Now, this was in February when it should be 2 degrees outside. However, it was a gorgeous 65 degrees. Thanks Oklahoma! I say, "yeah- it is really great outside though! I love it!" He follows up in that cute old man silly humor voice, "This morning my wife made me put on this sweater, and now there is no need for it." He was wearing the stereotypical old-man sweater with the diamonds all across. We continued talking and he asked me all about what I am doing in school, and apparently his granddaughter goes to OU too. We chatted like we knew each other for a good 5 minutes before I left. He could have easily been one of the old men at my church who pass out the fliers as you walk in. However, we had never met before.

In Oklahoma, this kind of things happens all the time. Everyone here is very friendly for the most part. We hold doors behind us, we wave when cars let us pass, and we smile at complete strangers and ask them how they are. It is just our culture. Other places just aren't as friendly and kind. Sure, we have some jerks out there. But they definitely do not ruin it for the whole bunch.

And that is one of the many reasons I will always be an Okie.

:)