Sooner or Later

There's something about Oklahoma that draws me.

I've never been there, only seen pictures of it. They have tornadoes there.

It seems like there are two mid-wests. The northern one and the southern one. Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska would be part of the northern one, Oklahoma, Kansas, Missouri, the southern. I'm not sure where to put Wyoming. Or Colorado. Probably just plain west.

This is all just me talking. I have no idea the official definitions of what falls where.

But I see a different sort of sensibility between the two I have perceived.

There's also a northeast sensibility as well as a southeast one. I'm sure there's a southwest and perhaps northwest, too.

I don't think there's a California sensibility. At least not from what I've read.

Here's what I associate with those regions: Southwest - turquoise and rattlers, Northwest - dark roast and grunge, Southeast - grits and gators, Northeast - snow and seafood.

I see I haven't included the middle northern folks - Michigan, Wisconsin, Minnesota, the Dakotas. Really just an oversight on my part as I don't spend much time thinking about them.

I don't include Texas in the mid-west. It seems like it is its own country to me.

Too far south, also.

I mean, it borders Mexico.

So, I guess that makes it part of the southwest?

Still, there's something about Oklahoma. I confess that most of my Oklahoman experience comes from entertainment.

You know, "Oklahoma, where the wind comes sweeping down the plain."

Or the move Twister.

Or even The Wizard of Oz. No wait, that's Kansas.

What the devil is a Sooner?

Oklahoma has a panhandle which makes it look something like a ladle. I wonder if that's where the term 'panhandler' came from.

Route 66 goes through Oklahoma, and isn't there quite a bit of the romance of travel associated with that famed highway?

As near as I can tell, a lot more songs have been written about Oklahoma than Kansas. Many of them are blues songs. I don't know any blues songs about Maine. It's just a different kind of soul.

I picture Oklahoma as being a big drive-in theater. Or drive-in restaurant with carhops on roller skates. Is it too much to wonder if most of the people still are driving Studebakers and DeSotos?

I know if I ever went to Oklahoma many of my notions would probably be dashed. Since we have no plans to travel there any time soon (or sooner), I'll just have to content myself with whatever delusions I create.

I can live with that.