The Red and Black

Issue date: 12/7/07 Section: Opinions

JACQUELYN GREENWOOD

Being from Texas is not a small ordeal. It's a legacy, an honor, a bragging right.

When I decided to write an opinions column about my experience "abroad," I felt obligated as a Texan to explain that no other state - not even Georgia - can compare. You might argue that it's been my calling since birth to enlighten all non-natives about the grandeur of Texas.

I grew up wearing red and black for the Texas Tech Red Raiders, not for the Bulldogs, and I come from a family that knows nothing about Georgia and everything about the Lone Star State.

Before putting pen to paper for this column, I had a mental list going of all things unique only to Texas: home of the rodeo, Dr. Pepper, Anna Nicole, its indisputable size, its world-renowned Tex-Mex, barbeque and that little trivia bit about Texas being the only state to also have been its own nation.

However, I spent the vast majority of my Thanksgiving holiday wishing I was back in Georgia, and since then, the idea of embellishing Texas to an audience of Georgians has seemed less and less appealing. The truth is, Ray Charles had it right when he sang, "just an old sweet song, keeps Georgia on my mind." With Christmas break approaching quickly, I am reminded that my time in Athens is coming to an end, and by May it will be over.

Out of respect for the Peach State, instead of making this article about why Texas supersedes all, I would like to make it about the qualities of Georgia that Texas cannot dominate. Here are the things I will miss most about Georgia:

Georgia has the friendliest people. In Texas they say "Howdy" and "Hey y'all" to strangers, but in Georgia they have a whole culture of Southern hospitality that ranges from everyday social graces to good-mannered bar etiquette. The people here aren't just nice, they're neighborly.

Georgia has the prettiest country. In Georgia, you're never far from a coastline, a lake, the mountains or the lowlands. And you've never seen redder clay or a greener pine tree than in the Peach State.

Georgia's got soul. If tacos and beer in Texas are analogous to sweet tea and Weaver D's in Georgia, then soul food must be one of God's gifts from Heaven.

Georgia has the proudest history. I thought I was from "the South," but I thought wrong. From the Civil War to the Civil Rights era, Georgia boasts a long legacy of true Southern heritage.

Athens is the liveliest college town. There's no doubt about it that Athenians have spirit. The music, the bars and the energy rival anything I've ever seen.

When I went to the blackout game against Auburn, the football heat took my breath away. This is Bulldog country. May all others exalt the Georgia Bulldogs, and glory, glory.


- Jacquelyn Greenwood is a senior from Austin, Texas, and a student member of The Red & Black editorial board.

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