Annotations for Topic: Identity

And, uh, it is, it is just, but, but the, the love of the people that I grew up with, uh, it's probably been the most amazing and best thing that I've ever had about this town. And like I said, we've got, and we, you know, the, the, and one of the bad things about that is when you get to be my age, sometimes you don't see 'em until you go to their funeral. And that's hard on the soul, but it, it, it keeps you in touch too, I think with your creator that it marks the time that you only got so much time and you better make the best of it, you know? And it don't matter what situation is. If you're in a bad situation, man, turn to your friends and get out of it, you know, unless they're the ones that are causing you a bad situation and you just get away from them.

that trusting God to take care of us, he always has. We, we've been through some really hard stuff with losing family members and stuff like that. And we know that, uh, man, we've had a lot of God things hit us right in the face, and man, that was God helping us out, you know? You know, and that's another thing about this town. I don't mean to , when I was in high school, we had one high school, and we probably had about 20 churches, so, and everybody went to church. And so, you know, it was, it was pretty religious, you know, there's a lot of religious upbringing, you know, in, uh, here, in this town. And, uh, I think it's a good thing because it's like, I don't go to church anymore, but I went to church up until the time I was [[]], and I'm [[]], fixing to be [[]], so that's been [[]] years. But the older I get, the closer to the creator I've become, and my faith

. And that's, yeah, why don't you go go over here and talk to 'em across the fence, man, strike up a conversation. You know? That's, it is just weird, you know? And I don't know, uh, like I say, I'm a dinosaur. I love being a dinosaur. And, uh, I, I like coming from a small town. Uh, in fact, I'm, I'm proud of that fact of that. I come from this town and I used to hate this town. You know, your perspectives change and, you know, you grow up and you realize that, uh, this place ain't as bad as I thought it was going to be, you know, .

Positive. Yeah. Well, everybody's, so, there's, there's so much meanness in the world. I mean, people that'll just, you know, man, they'll take advantage of you, man. They'll rob you blind or worse. And so everybody gets distrustful, you see somebody, you know, and it is, it is, and I've been guilty of this, you know, we, we profile, you know, you see some guy over here's got a lot of tats, and he's baldheaded and he's got tats all over his neck and his arms. And you instantly think, this guy's bad news. And you find out if you get to know him, you find out, man, this guy, hell, he, he's a deacon in the church and has done all this volunteer work and stuff, you know, and you know, you realize I've been wrong, but, you know, a lot of people won't give it that chance to really know this person. And like I say, me and her have done, we're proud of the fact that we do for the community and, uh,

do what we can. We help out where we can. You know, like I say, uh, she had two boys, my sons when, uh, ever I met her and they became my sons. And then we adopted two girls after our boys got grown. And, you know, and because, and you know, everybody said, man, hey, old boy, y'all are, you know, you got them girls, you raised them and y'all already raised your kids. You know, y'all, y'all, y'all, y'all. Why are you doing that? They're in our village. I, you know, I don't have any kids of my own, but I do. I got these four, I got 10 grandkids. They're not blood grandkids, but they are my grandkids. I, I took 'em home and, you know, they're going to be my grandkids, you know, even after I'm gone, you know? So, yeah. And like I say, that's, that's the type of values use

I've been a carpenter since I've been doing carpenter work since [[]]. I started with my dad working on weekends and working summers. And then when I graduated high school, uh, I was going to join the Navy and, 'cause my dad was a Navy man, and I thought, boy, he'd be proud of me for joining the Navy. He's, oh, no, no, no, no. 'cause I had a brother that went to Vietnam and hell, I graduated, uh, the wars had been, was ending. And so in Vietnam it was over with. And he said, man, your brother, your mama went crazy when your brother's gone with worrying about him and you're the baby of the family. I don't want you to put me through that . So my dad being his carpenter, and he got me in the carpenter's union in [[]],

and basically I got a bachelor's degree in carpentry. I served out in apprenticeship and went school for four years. And, uh, I never looked back. It's, it is, to me, it's a honorable trade. I mean, you stop me think about it, , what'd it do Jesus do to make a living? He was garden . Yeah. You know, he was construction, damn construction worker, , you know, and you know, you ju I just, you know, and it, it is one of those things too that I'm proud of the fact of what I do. I build houses. I I, because of me, people can move in a house and start a new life. And I look at it that way, you know, that yeah, I have done something to help the community by building houses here. And you know, I just, uh, I don't know, it's, it is, it's, it's kind of just a big circle, like a big wheel that goes round and round and, you know, the,

how you, you reach out to people like that. And I said, it's real easy. You do what's right. You know. And like I say, that's just part of the values that I grew up with. I had two great amazing parents that instilled that in me and my brothers. I mean, they was four of us and they, nobody went to jail, you know, we knew better, you know, and not a bad, not a bad one in the bunch. We made our mistakes and we, I mean, you know, because they, they might have, I, I spent the night in a jail cell a couple of times, but I never was arrested. It was because I was best friend with the chief of police's son . And so it was, Hey, you get in a car, I'm gonna take you to a bed. And, and he'd take me down to jail and we'd drink coffee and eat donuts. It happened twice. And one year he said, don't, don't make me pull you over again. If I do, uh, there will be a record. And I didn't, uh, you know, it's okay, I'll straighten up. I'll quit drinking , try it.

Well, I've had a military family, and my dad and my brother showed me a real big sense of patriotism and thankfulness for the country we live in. And my dad was a World War II sailor, and to me he was John Wayne. He was tough, he was rough, and he could do anything. And he was proud of the flag and proud of this country. And just by being around him, me and my brothers the same way we're Patriots. I mean.

Oh, yeah. born and raised. Yep. Proud of that one too. You know, just as proud as I can be. I mean, me, and we go to, we take a lot of vacations and a lot of times we've probably been to [[]], uh, probably two dozen times, and we go to the Alamo every time we go. And Texas history, you know, we have the Texas Ranger Museum in [[]], and if you have never been go, it's, it's an amazing story of the Texas Rangers and Stephen F. Austin and

When I'm in the area. Yeah, it's cool. It is cool there, there's a lot of history with the Texas Rangers

Ranger. That's awesome. I I really like my history, so. That sounds great. And for our next question, I'm gonna read out three different statements and tell me which one you agree with the most. So first off, I'm American first and Texan second. Two, I'm Texan first and American second, or three being Texan and American is equally important to you.

they had some racists. You know, all you black people just out screw me and all you black people outcr me. And it's the things that I grew up with. And that, like I say, that's part of the values that my mom and dad instilled in us, is you don't be prejudiced. You know, you judge people by their merit about what they can do and what they have done. And, you know, not just cause of, uh, their religion, race, religion or color. You don't do that. You know? And it's like I say, it was, that's one of the greatest things, uh, I think in my childhood was the parents. I had instilled these values in me, and I still got 'em now. Yeah. Uh, I, you know, and it's, it is true with every culture. There are bad apples in every bunch, but as a whole, man, people are people, you know? And it don't matter, you know, to me there are a lot of people. It does.

She ain't gonna answer that , but, uh, yeah, uh, I think it, it ought to be, it ought to be easy. Uh, I was kind of, I really was kind of a shy, uh, kid, but boy, when I, when I got opened up to him, I do like I do to you, man. I, blah, let's, let's talk, I'll give you my history, you know, and I've always been that way. I, I, and I, I don't lie about it, you know? People ask me, Hey man, you ever used any dope? I, man, I've used everything , I used everything. And I quit it. , you know, 26 years, or when I was 26 years old. I quit everything, drinking, smoking, . And, and I don't, I don't stand in judgment of people that do. 'cause I, I've been an addict, you know? And, uh, there's