Viewpoint: Texas Almighty Has Little Place For Everyone

Texas, our Texas, all hail the mighty state!

That?s the official state song adopted by the Texas Legislature in 1929.

I?ve spent my entire life in Texas, but ironically, I sort of feel like I left the state when I moved to El Paso in 1980.

I grew up in the Panhandle town of Dalhart, which is closer to five state capitals than its own. I went to college in Nacogdoches near the Louisiana border. Both towns are far removed from the power center of Texas. But somehow I felt more connected to Austin, Dallas, Houston or San Antonio than I do out here west of Denver in the Mountain Time Zone.

When there?s a big news story in a small Texas town, I?m sometimes asked to provide the pronunciation (Mexia, Refugio and Colorado City don?t sound like you think they should). Due to my love for high school football, I think I know the location of virtually every town in Texas.

El Pasoans, by and large, are either from El Paso or typically move here from someplace other than another Texas city. Many are geographically illiterate about our state. So, here?s a refresher course on Texas towns courtesy of the Internet:

Feeling a little down? Why not visit Smiley, Paradise, Rainbow or Comfort?

Love the sun? Try Sunrise, Sunset, Sundown, Sunray, Sunny Side, Sun City or thee Sun City, El Paso!

Hungry? There’s Bacon, Noodle, Oatmeal, Turkey, Trout, Sugar Land, Salty, Rice, Pearland, Orange or Sweetwater.

Why travel to other cities when Texas has Detroit, Cleveland, Denver City, Frisco, Memphis, Miami, Boston, Santa Fe, Reno, Pasadena and Columbus.

Want to travel outside the U.S. and stay in Texas? We have Athens, Canadian, Egypt, Ireland, Italy, Turkey, Paris, Palestine, Liverpool, Puerto Rico, Dublin, Puerto Rico, London and New London.

Want to travel the solar system? Say, Earth, Venus and Mars.

Cold? We’ve got Blanket and Winters (and Dalhart. … The coldest town in Texas).

Exhausted? Energy and Pep.

For the kids: Kermit, Elmo, Nemo, Tarzan, Winnie and Sylvester.

On the stateline? Texline (near Dalhart) and Texarkana.

And don?t forget Cut-N-Shoot, Gun Barrel and Hoop and Holler, Texas.

Looking at this list, I thought I knew where every Texas town was.