The best thing about San Antonio, I would offer, is the people here. They are largely Hispanic, but speak English, and are right proud of it. I could also mention the heat, but it is hot anywhere you go in summertime. Seriously! Folks, it can be hot in Indianapolis, or Minneapolis, or Oklahoma City, or Springfield, Missouri. I’ve been to all those places in both the summer and the winter, as well as Boise and West Virginia. It just plain gets hot, and San Antonio is only different in that it stays that way. Now, as to the people, you start to understand why in Mexico they take a “siesta” during the afternoon. They will work in the morning, eat a good meal, and relax while it is hot. Then, after a nap, or a rest, they will do some work in the later evening hours.

Here in San Antonio, the people are largely from Mexico, though they are 2nd and 3rd, and possibly 10th generation. Their language is English, and their culture is “Tejano”, or “Tex-Mex”. There are many aspects of their culture that is hard to learn, but, over time, and with a deep affection for them, one can do so. There is a French phrase that goes “lassie faire”, or “whatever will be, will be”, and somehow, these people have adopted that attitude. It was both the domestic and foreign policy of the United States for years, in the late 19th and 20th century. But what it means, in real, everyday life, is to let others be, as you are also left free. It’s not that things don’t get done, because they do, but the point is to enjoy life. If you want to work, work. If you want to eat, eat. If you want to sleep, sleep. If you want to play, play. But don’t tell others what they should and should not do, and neither should you be told what you should and should not do, as long as you or they are not hurting anyone else. That’s the Lone Star State, folks. It may not work for the rest of the country, but it works down here just fine.

This is not to say that anything goes! Far from it. If you are caught drinking and driving, for instance, the sentence will be more than severe. They’ll nail you to the wall. If you are not wearing a seat belt, even as a passenger, they’ll most certainly pull you over, and write you a ticket. And if it is the cop’s grandmother, he’d probably do the same thing. Maybe not, but you get some idea of the severity of the laws here. However, there is something about the attitude of the people in this locality that denies the possibility of a police state, which has been such an issue for those of us who have loved this country for so long. Perhaps they are more resillent - that is, they bounce back from a hard fall. And, they do so in a more loving manner than much of the people in most of the country, because of the constant hardships they have faced. Even though San Antonio is not on the coast, such that hurricanes can strike it, there have been periods of rainfall that would flood any city. Even so, the attitude of the Tejanos is, “Let it be, let it be.” And, even though we are not in the desert like El Paso, there have been times of drought when every farmer is praying for rain, and yet, the attitude here is “Let it be, let it be”, or “lasse faire”. So, South Texas and San Antonio is not a free-for-all, but a place that allows for the harsh conditions of life, and they most certainly exist.

OK, you are probably wondering at this point, what have I personally observed since coming here? Yes, all of the services and businesses are Hispanic, but they speak a very good English, even though I know Spanish, but didn’t have to use it. I went to the dentist, and they did a complete examination of my teeth. The assistant was ever so nice, and as I had to pick up my fiance’s daughter at 3:15 PM, and it was already close to 3 PM, so naturally I got a little ancy. But not only was I ancy about that, but I was scared because my teeth were about to be worked on. That might involve some pain, and the dentist might not know what he is doing. Furthermore, as it worked out when I got the bill for a cleaning and fixing my teeth, it might involve a lot of money, and I’m not rich. So, I wasn’t exactly thrilled at the prospect of seeing a dentist, but the woman that did the x-rays was ever so nice, and I got through it, though I still have to have some work done. My yard needs mowing, and I have a mower, but for some reason, I just don’t think I need to do so. Look at all the flowers and wild grasses that are native to the area! Aren’t they wonderful! Why would I take a perfectly good lawn mower and mow them all down? What if I am lazy? What if I am self-indulgent? What if I do take the attitude - “Let it be, let it be.” That is the attitude of those in my own neighborhood, but perhaps not yours.

Being in construction, you cannot help but wonder at the hard-working nature of the Hispanics that work with you. I’m a painter, and so I finish the job, but I’ve worked around and with Hispanics for quite some time now. They do work hard, and they don’t talk much, but they do talk some. What they talk about is their work, of course, or their immigration status, or their families, mostly. They are ever so proud of their wives and their daughters and their sons. That is their nature - to love their families first and foremost. To be upright men, and to not back down in the face of danger. They are “macho”, these Hispanic men I have worked with. God love them in this day and age, when most men are wimps or gay. And so that is how they are, these people of San Antonio. The women are both beautiful an ugly, short and tall, fat and skinny, and everything in between. They are attractive and unattractive, but I, being a man who has already found his love, cannot comment further on those.

I have only been to the Riverwalk, which is the chief tourist attraction of San Antonio. My first impression was that it was overpriced. I’ve got to charge more for what I do to make up for the prices that the merchants here in this town are charging, no doubt. I listened to a very good jazz band, played the piano some, and just observed with my little family, the best that San Antonio has to offer. I paid for my beer, and for the virgin pina coladas that my fiance and her daughter drank. That much I could do, but as the hour grew late, even though I wanted my step-daughter to talk personally to the guitarist at the club, we found we had to move on and move out. I’m sure that I will walk the missions here, and meet the best of the best here, but I have to ask the question: “Is this realistic? To charge so much from those who have so little?” I want people to have money, and to enjoy the sights, and the various attractions that San Antonio has to offer, but is $7 for a beer in a bar on the Riverwalk realistic? Is it a deal? No, I think not. And religious people can say all they want that we shouldn’t drink it in the first place, but the reality is that we will, and for some time to come. San Antonio is not about what you should and should not do, it is about what you do.

Now you know. Now you can learn what San Antonio is about before you get here, even though I haven’t told you about the square miles it covers or the many sights it offers. Be prepared to spend some money, and don’t try to learn Spanish before you come. Don’t think that we are a bunch of saints, because we are not, even though we are a city of missions. Learn from us, if you can, that nothing is impossible to those that believe, and we do believe. What do we believe? Only you can find out, our visitor, can find out when you get here, and stay here, and spend that hard-earned money to either make San Antonio the finest place you ever visited, or to make it your home. It is the best of the best, I believe, as one who was born in Del Rio, but who had a mother and a sister that was born here. San Antonio - where God’s people dwell, and where God’s people visit. Take my word for it - you’ll see!