Civic Pride

So, many people know the love/hate relationship I have with Houston. I love it because it helped make me who I am, though I hate some of the things it made me become. This isn’t some self-hatred or anything, but this is an interesting place. Independent of the fact I grew up here, I’ve never had a supremely strong attachment to the place.
But being here for 24 hours, I gotta say I’m proud to be from here.

You see the Astrodome on television and you see folks going down to volunteer, but you really don’t see the way that folks in this city not named Barbara Bush have tried to help the folks displaced by Katrina. Whether it be discounts for those with IDs from Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama or hearing the shouts people are leaving on the radio or watching folks patiently trying to help folks get cell phones at Radio Shack, the city has handled the influx of these hundreds of thousands of people better than I would have expected it to.
Maybe it’s because black folks around here know that they could have easily been in that same position. Maybe it’s because businesses simply see a good chance to come up. Maybe it’s because of something I can’t explain.
No matter what, people are coming through for the cause. That’s all that matters.
Even if Barbara Bush is scared all the folks are going to move in here.
I just say we need to move those folks into River Oaks/Bellaire, right down the street from the Bushes. It’ll be like her own personal scary movie. People like scary movies, right?
Keep truckin’, Houston. Hittin the Bun B video shoot with Matt Sonzala, he who runs HoustonSoReal, which is essential reading for anyone trying to keep up with Houston hip hop. Check him out, and I’ll let you know how that goes.
Piece coming soon on ESPN about my time in Houston. Should be a little different than that which I normally do.