Monday January 30th

It’s another dreary winter day. The temperature this morning was 50°. It’s damp… it’s breezy… it’s chilly. But, all in all, it’s not a bad day for the end of January. Although, it does look a little too green out.

Since the temperatures are predicted to stay below 60° for the rest of the week… I guess I should probably turn the AC off and the heat back on. Even if the inside temperature is hovering between the heat setting and the AC setting…

I’ve got Townes Van Zandt playing on the computer. I am always amazed by how much of my playlist is filled with Texas singer-songwriters. It doesn’t matter what the genre is, the Texas connection seems to be a prevailing theme. Even though my Texas pride has been humbled greatly over the decades.

Over the years my belief in Texas exceptionalism has been so tarnished until it’s now almost non-existent. It’s kind of like my American exceptionalism non-belief. The more I’ve learned about the world, the more I’ve come to see that the only thing exceptional about this country and this state are the fervent beliefs of its citizens. Because by any measurable metric, neither this state, nor this country ranks as exceptional.

I think I’ll blame my gray mood on the gray day outside… Y’all stay safe, stay healthy, pray for this unexceptional state and nation… I’ll catch you on the other side.