More from the travel log.

The sad thing about living in a big city is the loss of that forthright nature the citizens of the Texas hill country have in spades.  Unlike the Dutch (who are painfully honest) and Midwesterners (who are painfully nice), Texans are really honest and really nice.  Maybe not just nice–friendly.  Residents of DC are very retiscent to look you in the eye on the Metro, let alone invite interaction.

Small town Texans will smile and wave as they pass you on the street.  On the narrow one-lane country roads, they will pull their truck off the side and let you pass.  They hug you and ask how your parents are (that may just apply to those whose parents they already know–let’s not be creepy about it). 

Yes, forthrightness: getting right to the point.  When one is out on Main Street, drinking margaritas at Hondo’s, wearing a cute dress and cowboy boots, men ask to dance.  There is no back and forth, coy little big-city games.  There is just “hey little darlin’, you know how to two-step?”  And dancing means just what it is, nothing more. 

The question I now ask is, What makes people in cities overthink everything?  Is it that we’re overeducated?  Are we around shifty and dishonest people all the time, making us learn to be cautious of others in all circumstances?  Is it too late for us to return to normalcy after the Great War of unspoken communication?! 

Don’t think I don’t appreciate some mystery or that so much honesty could get boring.  But I could get used to an extra dash of forthrightness in my DC interactions.  I’m not blaming you though.  I blame Congress.