Texans

There's something different about Texans, especially Austinites. I don't know what, I don't know why, but there is.

This week I was talking to someone about the differences between my current job in Colorado and my last job in Texas. Despite the fact that my old job was mind-numbingly boring, dead-end and thankless, I had an awesome group of friends there. Aside from the actual work aspect of the job, it was a really fun place to be. In fact, at every job I ever had in Texas, I now realize, there was a certain level of fitting in that just came naturally. I never realized it (and how could I?) until I worked in a place that made me feel alien.

From the beginning I noticed that I'm different from my current set of co-workers. People where I work rarely take breaks or lunches, and when they do, it's an honest to goodness fifteen minute (or less) break. They may or may not seek the company of others, and if they do, they just make small talk and then it's right back to the grindstone. It's a good work ethic I suppose, but unless you've been in Texas long enough, you probably have no idea what I'm getting at. If you're from Texas, especially Austin, you know exactly what I'm getting at. I think Texas (at least Austin) has a work ethic more in common with Europe than that of America. We're not workaholics, and we see more value in having plenty of social time during the day than slaving away, always trying to maximize production. This has been true of every place I've ever worked, except for my current job. Before now I've only ever worked in Texas, and all of my professional jobs have been in Austin. The kicker is that my co-workers mention from time to time how they love the slow paced, relaxed work environment as compared to the world of private industry. Ah. I've never worked for private industry in my professional life. Only government agencies. Only Texas state agencies, for that matter. Maybe that explains things. If my current job is "easy" compared to the corporate world, then I can assure you that is a place I shall never, ever work. I will never be a corporate puppet, a production machine grinding away to make some fat cat richer.

But I do think that the kinds of people I work with today - extremely educated, career driven individuals who love number crunching - also has something to do with their weirdness (relative to my weirdness.) A lot of my Colorado (ie Boulder) friends fit that same category. With one exception, everyone I've befriended here is a scientist, professor, engineer or works in high-tech. Frankly, I don't like it. They're different. Nice, yes. They're very pleasant, intelligent, progressive. But you have to plan dinner, even a beer, three weeks in advance. You don't just pick up the phone and say, "Hey buddy, meet me down at the Mountain Sun for a beer in ten minutes." Then of course the evening is usually over by 8PM, and the conversation never gets to the point where you're laughing so hard you can't breathe. And God forbid you ever talk about anything crude or pointless. It's all very controlled, very pleasant, very politically correct, very benign, very predictable. Remember that episode of Seinfeld where Elaine met the "other" Jerry, George and Kramer? They were all like perfect versions of her actual friends. That's what it's like. That's not to say my Austin friends aren't intelligent or educated or pleasant. They are. They just don't take themselves too seriously, and they're not above any topic of conversation, no matter how crude or pointless. And they aren't all goddam vegans. I like my original friends better, if for no other reason than I feel like I'm one of them.

Yesterday two friends from Texas came to town. They were just casual acquaintances of mine back in Austin, but they were friends of Gerard which is why they came to visit. I didn't want them to leave. We hung out, showed them around Boulder, took in some brews at the Mountain Sun. Gerard and I discussed afterward how familiar it felt hanging out and laughing with them, and we both agreed that Austinites are just different people - people we love. We've not found any friendships here like we had in Texas. There's just something different about the culture or the kinds of people who live in Austin that suits us. There are days when I think I wouldn't mind trading my job for my old one, just to be with the old Three Martini Break Group again. Of course I wouldn't. I really hated that job. But I think it says a lot for my old friends that their pull is such that I at least entertain the thought sometimes.