Southern Comfort
Texan hospitality is unparalleled to any culture I have come across before. Fort Worth is a great example of that. It’s homely. Southern comfort.
‘You can be yourself with people. It’s their job to see the good in you. No need to change who you are to adapt to people who want to know someone real not fake. You have a place everywhere that you are yourself.’
Everywhere people can be hospitable. It’s not a culture; it’s the human spirit.
The choice made based on culture — yes.
Here, everyone nods their heads; says hello even if they don’t know you.
It’s just what happens.
In the UK, it’s usually a blank stare which creates that band of hostility so well-known to London commuters (more than most).
It might be that I’m a foreigner with a strange accent.
That might be the reason that they are so lovely.
But take the restaurant service.
They are accommodating, walking around to fill up your drinks.
They grow up with the attitude to serve paying customers not just as a job but a continuance of a culture.
Everywhere I go, I notice it more and more.
Of course, some people are hostile.
But, it doesn’t throw me off.
People being helpful and friendly in any situation in the city especially — that throws me off.
London is like NYC in many respects.
People are busy. Lifestyles rushed. No-one has time.
Here, people are laid back. They walk around leisurely. If they need to get somewhere quick — they drive.
It’s an auto-centric culture.
Fort Worth is a walkable city. The downtown (which runs east-west like London) is 35-blocks. Very small in comparison to most centres.
I can walk from the apartment to the central cultural venue in 12 minutes.
Similar to my walk to the train station in the morning — but warmer and less suburban.
I am spending a lot of my time in the library here.
It’s a vast expanse of knowledge.
I learnt about the history of Fort Worth. How it changed from a military outpost to a town.
I learnt why Dallas outperformed Fort Worth in the early days and how that perpetuated the competition today.
I learnt that White Settlement isn’t mainly a name with imperialistic or racist undertones.
I learnt how Fort Worth became known as ‘Cowtown’.
All from one book.
Helps me with my literature review for my dissertation as well as how I progress while I’m here.
The questions I ask and the way I provoke a conversation.
I had my second interview yesterday.
It was with three people. A dynamic I had never explored.
It was difficult to position to microphone.
But all the sound captured just fine.
After the interview, the people I interviewed asked if I needed to contact anyone else.
I explained the sample range I was trying to achieve.
They started to brainstorm names.
One lady was the scribe. She wrote down nearly a page-long worth of contacts.
I sat amazed. Amazed that a group of people with busy jobs would take the time to do this.
They’ll send me the list soon, but even to watch them do that — I’m so grateful.
It could be that I asked the right questions.
They seemed to be impressed by my questions and that I had researched their cause.
At first, perhaps, they were apprehensive.
But as soon as I asked, ‘do you think Fort Worth lives in the shadow of Dallas?’ — they conversation erupted.
It wasn’t the first question, but it was early enough to warrant them to think more about the rest of the questions with that thought in mind.
It was a good interview.
I have two more today.
I’m gathering as much data as possible to trawl through back in London.
The people here are very accommodating.
They know that they can help.
They do everything in their power to be alert and attentive.
Everyone has a wealth of knowledge on a given subject; you just have to ask the right questions.
As I continue my Fort Worth journey, I’m sure I’ll find more of the same.
Southern comfort.