Thursday, May 23, 2013

Oklahoma Strong

I have made it known before but I'm not super open about the fact that I live in Oklahoma so just as a formality and to let everyone know my family and most of my circle of influence is fine. I do have some loose connections to a few people who lost their homes but overall my people came out unscathed.

Monday's tornadoes will go down in history and now be something that defines Oklahoma forever. That saddens me because what I really wish people knew about my home state is how much we love each other and how much we build each other up after tragedy strikes. We Okies are no stranger to tornadoes and their damage and although it NEVER gets easier, if there's one thing the people of the great state of Oklahoma know how to do it's pick ourselves up dust ourselves off and build each other up.
What may not have been covered on the national news is the 2 mile line of cars at donation sites just a few hours after the tornado came through, the stores were wiped out of water, gatorade and packaged snacks by 6PM, the tornado hit at 3PM Central. There was a line of 1000 plus volunteers ready and waiting to head into the devastation and help begin the clean up as soon as civilians were cleared for entry into the area, there were donation sites set up within hours, our beloved Thunder donated 1 million dollars, and Kevin Durant matched it with another million. In Oklahoma what we should be known for is how we take care of our own.

Our state is Oklahoma Strong and we will come back stronger and better than ever!

If you've never visited our great state you should I imagine you'll be welcome with a big smile, and an offer from an Oklahoman to make your visit more comfortable. That's just how we are in this Great State!