Melissa Bartlett

Oh, the good ol' state of Texas. You have given us so much to be proud of. You have been there to let others know not to mess with us. I don't know of any other state in this great country that has the resources to make it on our own.

Earlier this year I took to social media to complain. OK, that is what a lot of us do. I was hoping my complaints would fix a problem I was seeing around Amarillo. I know in a perfect world everyone would do the right thing.

Those that were born in Texas have that Texas pride. You can tell. Then there are those of us who weren't born here but got here as fast as we could. Isn't that the saying? That is what I have always heard.

I have a mantra that I tend to go by. In Chick-fil-A we trust. I know it's a fast food place. Oh, but I think they are doing things a bit different. I mean they have made "my pleasure" a known response to anytime a guest says thank you.

We have heard it time and time again, Don't Mess with Texas. We are very big into not littering in our great state. We have Texas pride and we are not afraid to show it. So when we see people tossing things out of the window of their car we take offense.

Prison life should not be easy. Prison life should not be glorious. Prison life should be tough. There has to be a lesson learned. There needs to be some roughing it to turn your life around. There should be a deterrent to keep one from wanting to go back.

The weather can be something else here in Texas. You can start the day with sunshine. You can also quickly change to storms in no-time. I was always told if you don't like the weather give it ten minutes because it can change.

Oh the great state of Texas. It's a crazy big state. Some people just don't get that. I remember when I was working in college radio and the concerts I would get invited to go to. Oh, they were some great shows.

When you think of The Big Texan the first thing that pops into your mind is that 72 oz steak (if eaten within one hour). I mean they spend enough on advertising that has to be what they are known for, but really that is not all.

This modest little laundromat has some real vintage treats inside.

When you go into a store like United or Walmart, it's not a surprise that you will be asked to show an ID to purchase some items. You understand if you are buying alcohol they will want to make sure you are of legal age for them to sell it to.

Texas has just about everything you could need in a state. We have water, we have hills, and we have canyons. We have sports teams. I mean you name it this big ol' state can provide it.