Because of my dad:
I know Bob Gibson, Stan Musial, and Ozzie Smith are among the best baseball players ever.
I know God watches the Dallas Cowboys on Sundays.
l've spent a Thanksgiving Day at Texas Stadium cheering on the Cowboys.
I know the winner of every Super Bowl.
I know the best music was made during the 60s & 70s.
I know all the words to every Jimmy Buffett song.
I love the Eagles, Jackson Browne, the Allman Brothers, the Stones, and Zeppelin.
I understand the humanity in Johnny Cash performing to a room full of prisoners.
I can drive in all weather conditions.
I could change a tire before I could drive.
I have a moral obligation to clean and eat every animal that I kill.
I know a good pair of LL Bean boots will last a lifetime.
I love my alma mater.
I knew every word to the ASU fight song by the time I could walk.
My sister is my best friend.
I know that family comes first.
I always have a roll of duct tape and can of WD40.
I love Stanley Kubrick, Francis Ford Coppola, the Coen Brothers, and Tarantino.
I think for myself.
I know when to double down in a game of blackjack.
I know a flush beats a straight.
I can tell the difference between a White Oak and Pin Oak.
I can spot a funnel cloud.
I know a tornado sounds like a freight train.
I know Song of the South is about the Great Depression.
I can use my palm to feel the difference between medium and medium-rare.
I can grill almost anything.
I can make gumbo, etouffée, and red beans by memory.
I know mallard duck tastes like cardboard if you don’t render the fat.
I always keep garlic and cayenne pepper.
I know just because something is spicy doesn't mean it's well-seasoned.
I am who I am today.
CPJ | 14 June ‘25
Originally published June 18, 2021