Odessa! It's Spectacular!!!

So as I'm on my way to Odessa Saturday afternoon, I get pulled over by a police officer outside of Wichita Falls.  I had already passed him (as he sat on the side of the road), and didn't think much of it.  I had my cruise control set to 71.  No problem.  Except that apparently there was a problem.  As I pulled over I looked up and noticed the posted speed limit - 70.  Unfortunately, until that point the speed limit was 60.  Oops.  Somewhere along there I decided the speed limit was already 70.  To make a short story shorter, the officer was very kind, and he didn't give me a ticket.  He did ask where I was headed.  "I'm on my way to Odessa," says me.  Says him, "Why in the world are you going to Odessa?!"

I can't tell you how many times I've had that reaction when people find out where I'm from. Usually I just say West Texas, then I don't have to explain or defend my town of origin. And it may as well be my town of origin.  We moved to Odessa in March of 1967, when I was in the second grade.  And from that time on, with the exception of the three years Mike and I lived in Lubbock, until July of 2008, I have called Odessa home.

I thought about that the rest of the trip.  What, if anything, is spectacular about being from Odessa?  Surprisingly enough I thought of several things.

Our family moved to Odessa from Seagraves.  There were 9 weeks of second grade left.  I loved Burleson Elementary School.  It was the first time no one cared that I didn't take dance lessons or wear frilly bows with frilly dresses.  We could just be friends because we were, not because of what our parents did or didn't do and what extracurricular activities I was involved in or not.  There were tons of kids on the street we lived on, and we played as hard as we could until dark every night.  That summer was the most fun ever.

We moved again right before school started.  Third grade was at Goliad Elementary with Miss Cochrum.  She was 12 feet tall with funny hair, but I loved her, as did the rest of my classmates.  That year Debbie Thomas became my best friend ever, and we were friends with Kay Glenn, and Melody Baggett, and John Wier, and Stan Strifler, and many more.  I learned that year that if you kick boys in the shin it can leave bruises and cuts, and after Stan showed me his the next day I was ashamed of myself and never did that again.  Oh yeah, I almost forgot the best part, Gary Snow and I were chosen to represent our class in the Goliad King and Queen event in February.  I still have a picture of us grinning from ear to ear, and I was a head taller than him.  That changed somewhere in junior high . . . .

And then there was the year that one of my best friends had a crush on Paul Shepherd and so we would sit on the curb at Goliad in front of his house and wait.  I'm not really sure what we were waiting on?  Maybe Karen knew.  :  )

While at Goliad I also saw how devastating it was to lose a parent.  One of our classmates lost his mother in fourth grade.  I remember him being very sad, and I remember being sad for him.  I was also scolded by Kay one year because of the way I had treated another classmate.  Oh dear me.  That's why I love the first Harry Potter book when Neville is awarded points for standing up to his friends.  Kay would have earned points.

Then we were off to Hood with different class schedules and new friends and new experiences.  I try to forget those years.  I had great fun, but I was awful.  I embarrass myself when I remember, so I try not to remember.

And then on to Permian where I realized that Mrs. Wier was famous.  I thought she was fabulous, but I didn't realize all of Permian High School thought so as well.  Permian High School -- home of multiple state football championships, numerous Merit Scholarship Award winners, excellent choral and band programs, and home of Friday Night Lights.  Every time I've worn any Permian gear anywhere in the United States people ask me about Permian High School.  Every time.  They point and whisper.  Every time.

And how can you talk about Odessa without mentioning Taco Villa and Rosa's?  Is there anyone in Odessa who hasn't grown up eating there?  You can always tell when someone is new to the area -- they have no inkling of Taco Villa.  Sadness.  And of course everyone knows when you move away the first place you stop when you come back through town is Taco Villa.  It's a tradition.  And may I just add that I learned that work is a good thing from Bobby Cox?  He's the only millionaire I've ever known to flip burgers.  At Texasburger -- Texasburger when it was still a hole in the wall place on 52nd & Andrews Hwy.  Every Sunday night he'd be in the back flipping burgers.  Amazing.

The sunsets in West Texas are unequaled anywhere.  They are beautiful.  There's something about being able to look out and see for miles.  It just does a heart good.  I've enjoyed having trees and grass and water in Oklahoma, but there are days I long to just see for miles.

And the people in Odessa are 'interesting'.  Many are well-educated, others not so much.  I've encountered the very wealthy, the very poor, the very moral, and the very immoral.  And most of them I would count as friends.  And I've learned something from every one of them, rich or poor, educated or not, walking a straight line or well acquainted with the 'under belly' of society.  I love that about Odessa.  And yes, I must confess that I always make fun of Junior Leaguers.  Sorry ladies, I know you do great things, my foster families benefited from many of your projects.

Oh, and there's a giant jack rabbit, whose name is Jack.

So why am I headed to Odessa?  Well, heck, because there's some spectacular things there!