My speech in written form:
Most people don't identify themselves with their state because, after all, it's just a state. Yet there is one that so many people proudly identify themselves with, and while I did not grow up there and only lived there a year, I would proudly consider Texas my home because my time spent there has defined me so much that it is now deeply ingrained in my identity. You will not truly get to know me without hearing about Texas. While there are so many ways I could relate Texas to who I am, I'll stick to the most important: how my time in Texas has shaped me significantly, how my adventures there have caused me to fall in love with nature, and how the unity of the state exemplifies the connection I feel with humanity.
Last year I was given a unique opportunity to take off school and do a gap-year program at a Christian outdoor adventure camp. This year was so full of new, tough, and wonderful experiences that it has shaped so much of who I am. While I was there I worked retreats, went on monthly trips, had classes, and lived in a close community. Retreats ranged from young kids to pastors to college students from Saudi Arabia. In my classes I learned about the bible, other religions, cooking, finances, and how to change the tire on my car. Being far from home and in this community probably changed me more than anything. Through all of this my eyes were opened to so many things, I gained confidence, worked through issues in my past, and grew into a family with my fellow students and staff. I was changed so significantly by God that my life has looked completely different since I’ve come back, and I seem to always be referring back to “when I was in Texas.”
Between many cities in Texas there is a whole lot of "nothing" as most people would say. But "nothing" to some means everything to me. I am obsessed with nature. The sun shining on your nose as you squint, a warm breeze tingling your skin and flowing through your hair, the sound of leaves rustling and birds chirping, the calming effect of a gently flowing river, and the feeling of dirt and grass tickling your feet--I love it all.
While in Texas I camped--even on the beach--and backpacked in Camp's own back country and on a mountain. I kayaked five days down the clear waters of the Pecos River, which runs through the Chihuahuan Desert. I kayaked over huge ocean waves until they got so big that a giant wall of salty water slapped me in the face as the kayak flipped straight over backwards. I've seen the Milky Way's streak across the sky night after night. I've mountain biked through rocky hill country terrain, rappelled down a 185-foot cliff, and explored caves.
Being in nature makes me feel like I've discovered what it truly means to be human. It makes me feel alive. I am convinced that it is man's intended environment, that through it we see glimpses of God's beauty and majesty while also being sensually comforted by His love. I have never felt alone in nature.
Neither do I ever feel alone in Texas. I feel at home whether in San Antonio, Waco, Dallas, or Austin because, well, it's Texas, and Texan pride seems to give it a strange sense of unity that I've never experienced in Missouri. Texans seem to know everything about Texas, so much so that I now know more about Texas than my own state. I heard friends talk about how they went to Austin or Dallas for the weekend to hang out. It seemed like this was pretty common. They could tell me about all the different cities in Texas, yet I could barely tell you a thing about Kansas City, Columbia, Springfield, or Cape Girardeau.
This unity reminds me of my connection with people and humankind as a whole. I've been asked how I knew strangers because of the ease with which I talked to them. Community is very important to me, and I love relating to and helping others. There are a hodgepodge of places from the desert of west Texas to the hill country to the beach of Padre Island, from the small mountains near the Mexican border to the busy streets of Dallas and Houston. With the majority of Texas being conservative, it makes you wonder how the quirky liberals populating Austin fit in, yet its capital is just as Texan as the rest. When relating to people I tend to look past differences and to the core commonality we all have as humans. This makes me love other cultures and want to live in different places. It helps me break down barriers between people, and my desires usually have something to do with the good of the world. Even the small community I lived in at camp was a group of mismatched peers that had to learn to understand each other and work together. There was no way to avoid conflict, yet we learned to love each other. This has changed the way I view community and relationships forever.
I can't think of anything that explains me better than Texas. The time I spent there made almost everything else seem insignificant. It changed me so much that when I moved back to Missouri so many people made comments about how I seemed different within the first hour of being with me again. My values shifted. While I have always been a lover of the outdoors, it is now one of my strongest passions. I've never felt so at peace when in the middle of nowhere, submersed in nature. It was like God is right there and suddenly I knew all that was truly important in life and what complicated things never really mattered. Mostly, what truly matters are relationships with people. Community is the glue that holds life together, just like it holds the vast state of Texas together.
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