Texas, Turtle Bayou, and Local Elections

I am consistently impressed with how beautiful it is here in Texas.

My son and I spent some time in the White's Park area (near Anahuac, Texas - about 20 miles east of here). It is located on Turtle Bayou, a picturesque setting of beautiful cypress and pine trees. I felt like I had stepped back in time 100 years and that Huck Finn and Jim would come floating by on a raft... It was so serene and lovely.

I have since learned about the history of Anahuac and Turtle Bayou and the role these places played in the history of Texas in general. Texas is a fiercely independent place, both on an individual level and all the way to the state level. Texas has its own state pledge of allegiance. Texas people have their own distinct views of the world and how things ought to be done. And there is a great reluctance to follow any sort of imposition which may lead to tyranny. It is hard to impose any kind of order on people who are so independent. Like herding rattlesnakes. Don't tread on me.

Well, in the natural course of things, we have had our elections for our Mayor and two of our City Council positions. Again, I am impressed by how wonderful it is to have elections like this take place in our community. People know that their vote really counts here, and people that are elected have the chance to make a real difference on the face of the local community. The incumbents were re-elected (Congratulations!) and we are now able to resume focus on the matters at hand. But underlying all of this is the current of individualism and independence. It makes things interesting...