First of all, let me say “Happy Birthday!” to Jerry Ragsdale, a guy I used to work with at AT&T who hails from Conyers, Georgia, and whom I haven’t seen or talked to in about 15 years but whose birthday it indeed is today.
The Texas Triumvirate of Very Important Days (patent pending) is how I refer to March 2nd, March 6th, and April 21st.
March 2nd is Texas Independence Day. If you have to ask “Independence from what?” you are pathetic indeed and obviously weren’t paying any attention in History class. Independence from what? Why, Mexico, of course! Mexico! I say it a third time: Mexico!
March 6th is Alamo Day. Every living, breathing American in my day (perhaps it is no longer so) had at least heard of Davy Crockett and Jim Bowie.
And finally we come to April 21st. The Battle of San Jacinto. Revenge for March 6th, big-time. Dear to every Texan’s heart.
I posted about it in 2009 with a post entitled “Rules to live by: (1) Always post a sentry during the afternoon siesta; (2) Choose your underwear very carefully." and if you want all the
Here are two more things that are dear to every Texan’s heart:
(Field of Texas bluebonnets; photo by bombay2austin on Flickr. Noncommercial use permitted with attribution)
That’s right. The Lone Star flag and a field of bluebonnets.
And you thought I was going to say George W. Bush and Willie Nelson.
Although I was born in Texas (thank you, Mama) I grew up in New Mexico and learned to pronounce Spanish "J's" as an "h" sound; i.e., San "Ha-ceen'-to." Newly moved back to Texas in 1958, I tried to report to work at (then) Republic National Bank in Dallas on the morning of April 21, only to learn that the bank was closed for the San "juh-sin'-ta" holiday.
ReplyDeleteYay, Bluebonnets!
Pat, I have a comment-and-question about San Jacinto and then a question for you.
ReplyDeleteThe comment-and-question is this: I once heard actress Betty White (who has lived in California for decades) pronounce San Jacinto yet another way: San "Ha-cheen-to"...I wonder which is the proper way to say it in Spanish. I know the proper way in Texan: "juh-sin-ta"....
The question for you is this: While at Republic National Bank, did you ever know an Ed (or Eddie) Houston? If you say you did, I'll tell you something interesting by email.
RWP... last, first. Sorry, didn't know a Mr. Houston. I wasn't an employee very long; hubby wanted to move back to Arkansas, which we did in August that year. I was sorry to leave RNB; it was a wonderful place to work.
ReplyDeleteI have never heard "Ha-cheen-to," but there are a number of things I've never heard, I'm sure. Perhaps some reader with a more recent exposure to Spanish pronunciation will have an answer.
In England, schools do not cover Texan history so the suggestion that I wasn't listening in history lessons is quite outrageous and hurtful sir! ...And what about "the yellow rose" of Texas? Or was that just a songster's myth?
ReplyDeleteY.P., a thousand pardons. In my history class, we didn't learn anything about Yorkshire either.
ReplyDeleteIf you had clicked on the link and then clicked on the link in that link, one of the things you might have read in the Wikipedia article was this:
"Legend: "Yellow Rose Of Texas"
It was reported that when on campaign, Santa Anna would send aides to round up the prettiest women for his pleasure. According to legend, he was "entertaining" a mulatto woman named Emily Morgan at the time of opening salvo. A song titled "The Yellow Rose of Texas" was later written about Emily Morgan's purported role in the battle. No primary source evidence corroborates this story, however, and it is now dismissed by historians."
I had no idea that the yellow rose of Texas may have referred to a mulatto (person of mixed race and therefore lighter hue) and not to an actual flower. That was a new on on me.
As our newscaster Paul Harvey used to say, now you know the rest of the story.
Speaking of which, one of my favorite song parodies ever is the version of "Yellow Rose of Texas" by Homer and Jethro that contains this immortal line:
ReplyDeleteShe's the Yellow Rose of Texas,
The sweetest gal on earth.
Her right eye looks at Dallas,
Her left one at Fort Worth.