Last week was not a good week for Oklahoma. It makes me sad when our state is put under the spotlight for the stupid actions of our citizens, college students, State Reps, State Senators, Congressmen, and/or U.S. Senators. People love to bitch about all the stuff that is wrong with Oklahoma. Is Oklahoma perfect? Absolutely not. But it's not as bad as everyone on Facebook makes it seem, otherwise most of us would move.
I would like to help cleanse the palette and talk about some of the things that are good for Oklahoma. Things we enjoy. Things like...
1.) Sports!
The Thunder are awesome... when they're healthy. The Sooners have Seven Mythical National Championships in football. The Cowboys still have T. Boone Pickens' credit card and are sometimes good at sports. And Tulsa...well, it's still there. (Can someone double-check to make sure?) Sports bring people together. They also bring in a lot of money, unless you're a player in the NCAA. In that case, enjoy the free head trauma! If you want to enjoy sports, become a casual fan. If you take it too seriously you'll get into debates on message boards. Don't be that person. They are bad for Oklahoma.
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2.) Food!
Oklahoma has a lot of great food, and everyone, regardless of gender, race or sexual preference, has to eat! Food is something we can all get behind... and then die of obesity. Shit... sorry, I'm trying to stay positive. Enjoy the great foods we have in Oklahoma, but don't die of obesity.
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3.) Cost of Living!
Another great thing about Oklahoma is the low cost of living. You can buy a nice house and still have some money leftover to spend on food and sports. Unless you don't get paid very much and have student loans. In that case, enjoy the crippling debt and Netflix instead of cable!
Damn, I did it again. OK, start your own oil company and become a billionaire, that would be good for you AND Oklahoma!
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4.) Beautiful People!
Oklahoma has some of the most beautiful women on the planet. Our men are rugged and handsome. An Oklahoma sunset is so beautiful it will tell an Ansel Adams picture to "fuck off." So go out there and enjoy the view!
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5.) Arts!
Oklahoma has some very talented artists, musicians, comedians, improvisers, actors, etc. Go out and see some of the amazing things our friends and citizens are creating. Also, unlike race or politics, it's ok to have an outdated opinion of art! If you don't "get" some impressionist's piece of work, it's fine. No one gives a shit.
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6.) Traffic!
Or lack of. Traffic is bad when people go to work and come home from work, that's really it. Can you think about how angry everyone would be if we had traffic like they do in Dallas?
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7.) The People!
Oklahomans are friendly. Ask anyone and they'll tell you the same. There is a minority of people who are assholes, and they are super easy to avoid. The number of amazing people in our state far outweigh the jack-offs that make the news and embarrass us. Keep that in mind next time there is a national news story about some idiot(s).
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8.) The Weather!
OK, we can have some pretty intense weather in Oklahoma, but in terms of major cities, Oklahoma ranks 7th in the amount of sunshine! And if you stay indoors for July and August, Oklahoma is pretty damn nice. We should tax people who take advantage of Oklahoma's sunshine with solar panels. Wait, we did? Good on ya, Oklahoma! That will show those hippies!
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9.) Wide Open Spaces!
Oklahoma has a lot of land out there. If being in the city becomes too much for you, a 30 minute drive in any direction will take you away from it all. There are a lot of awesome sites to see in our state. And lets face it, sometimes we just need to unplug and step away from all the things that get us riled up.
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10.) Blogs!
If you like keeping up with whatever stupid interest you have, blogs are a great way to do that. Some blogs help you out in the kitchen if you're a rich housewife living in the "frontier." Other blogs poke fun at the powers that be and Facebook weatherman.
What I'm saying is enjoy some blogs, but don't take anything too seriously. Despite what you might think, blogs don't get to vote in the Legislature or come up with laws that are homophobic, racist, or just dumb. There are real people out there with real power. If you disagree with a blog, remember, they are just words on the internet... probably written by someone with crippling student loan debt and Netflix instead of cable.
