People often ask me why I live in Oklahoma. I usually respond with a smart-ass comment like, “I wasn’t really consulted as a child.” I was adopted as an infant and it just so happened that both my families, adopted and biological, came to Oklahoma…on purpose a hundred and twenty five years ago, more or less. Five of my first seven years I lived on the island of Guam, my family could have gone anywhere from there they came back to Oklahoma. When I grew up, I could have left. I left to be a United States Marine, but decided to stay in Oklahoma.
Oklahoma is famous for many things.
- The orator Will Rogers,
- The aviator pioneer Wiley Post (coincidentally Will and Wiley died in the same plane crash, so we named the airports in Oklahoma City after them),
- Indians or as political correctness demands Native Americans,
- Country and Western (yes both kinds) Musicians (too many to name),
- The Dust Bowl,
- Land Runs,
- The Oil Industry,
- Domestic Terrorism,
- Tornadoes,
- Miss Americas,
- and our state song is the only one almost all Americans recognize as a state song and can even sing a line or two from. Take that New Hampshire, keep trying.
I could go on by naming a lot of famous stuff non-Okies wouldn’t know anything about. (See also, OU Football, Mistletoe, Scissor-tail Flycatchers, bison, parking meters, shopping carts, etc…).
But this post is about….sunsets. No really, sunsets. The great plains have the most beautiful sunsets in our country. Bet you didn’t know that. Montana is famous for their “big sky”, eh, I’ve seen it. California and Florida have ocean sunsets and I’ve even seen a few of them. But they don’t rival the plains.
So, this gets back to the facts, as I was driving home last week and we had one of our more or less average sunsets, I captured it. When I see the sunset I stop and count my blessings. I have been blessed with a great wife (think about all those pretty Okie girls who didn’t run for Miss Oklahoma….), three great kids, three grand kids, and I live in a great land where I’m free, and the sun gives me a free show more nights than not. So as you can imagine I say thank you, a lot. I have all this in Oklahoma.
I lost a dear friend this week. Whit Edwards was a great historian, actor, husband, father, and a great friend. So tonight when you are wishing you had an Oklahoma sunset to watch, thank God for your blessings and try to treat others so they will remember you long after you are gone.
Thanks for reading, and Happy Rovering.