Gina Branch

Don’t we all have horses and oil wells? With the Super Bowl recently held in Dallas, I was unfortunately reminded about the rest of the nation’s stereotypical view of Texans – a bunch of ignorant, uneducated, backwoods heathens who ride horses and pump black gold from their back forty. We all wear boots and cowboy hats. We kill our own food and shoot anybody who trespasses on our farms and ranches. 

While you may find a few Texans who fit that mold, I bet pickins would be slim. Texas is home to three of the 10 largest cities in the nation and has become a true melting pot of cultures from around the world. Many companies move their corporate headquarters to Texas for the temperate climate, central location, and affordable housing prices – not to mention the friendly natives. The Texas economy continues to outperform the rest of the country, so we must be doing something more than barrel racing and roping calves here.

I pulled into a retail center parking lot in west Plano on a recent Saturday afternoon and here’s what I saw – a row of Ferraris, Lamborghinis, Porsches, and even a Ford GT. I didn’t find one horse hitched to a wooden post outside the trendy new restaurant. Rather, ponies of a different kind were anxiously waiting under the hoods to be set free along the Dallas North Tollway. 

My point is the Dallas Metroplex has a lot to offer – culture, international cuisine, the Symphony, leading corporations, top entertainment, and major league sports. Even a New York City writer covering the Super Bowl commented on the “surprising quality” of dining choices in Dallas. That writer probably doesn’t know that Dallas has more restaurants per capita than New York City. 

All said Texas does have a history rich in cowboy culture. It’s part of who we are, but is certainly not all we have to offer. And if you ever want to visit a snapshot of that stereotypical Texas heritage, Fort Worth is just down the road a piece. We Texans are a proud bunch, so whatever your opinion of the south, don’t mess with Texas!