by Philip M Cruts
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The State of Texas has always been known for her friendly people. I never knew anywhere else was different until I went to New England to see my wife. I walked into a store and asked the clerk how she was doing and I received the strangest look. I could tell she was trying to figure out if she knew me or not. Some places just aren’t used to Southern hospitality.
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I made the move from The Panhandle to The Hill Country 15 years ago. The difference was astounding! I remember the first time I was driving down the highway and someone pulled over to let me pass. I had never seen this before and I knew I had found my new home. The people of Central Texas were the friendliest group of people I had ever encountered. When you walked into a convenience store to get a coke, you were greeted by whatever clerk happened to be on duty that day. It didn’t matter what they were doing, they stopped to say “hi”, “good morning”, or “how are you?”, but that was 15 years ago.
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I’m seeing less and less of the friendly Texas attitude and it’s being replaced by a nonchalant, it’s all about me attitude. My wife and I went into a convenience store recently and wanted to order a burger. Two clerks who were in their early twenties were standing at the counter. We proceeded to the deli counter and stood for several minutes before politely asking the clerk (who was texting) if there was anyone who could help us. She rolled her eyes and came over. Now, I’m a very patient man, but I’m also big on customer service. It almost seems like clerks think they’re doing you a favor by allowing you to have them ring you up. There are 7 other stores in our small town. I’ll do her the favor of shopping at one of them.
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I’ve always been proud of waving and being waved at by other drivers. And when someone lets me pass, I always wave as a simple courtesy. I’ve seen the wave, I’ve seen the brake tap, and I’ve seen the flashers, but I’m also seeing less and less of each. I was on my way from Brownwood to Brady the other day and I decided to do a little experiment. I drive rather slowly anyway, so I decided
to pull to the shoulder for every car that came behind me. There were 11 cars/pickups and 7 big rigs. Out of the 11 cars, I received 2 waves and 1 brake tap. Out of the 7 trucks, I received 6 flashers. It doesn’t surprise me with the trucks, but the cars did. Eight people never even acknowledged me taking the time to be courteous and let them pass.
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All of this was just to say, we need to find our way back to the true Texans we used to be. Take the time to say thank you. Take a minute to say hello. Let people know that they are appreciated by you. And most of all, remind them what being from Texas is all about.
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P.S. I also noted license plates while driving. Out of the 11 vehicles, 10 had Texas plates. The other was from Oklahoma; he waved.
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