The bucket list item

Historically Speaking



 

 

A couple of weeks ago, my job took me to Ft. Worth, Texas. I had never been and after two long, agonizing trips to and from the DFW area, I wasn’t too thrilled. My first adventure took me to Denton, then five days later, I returned to the area to visit Arlington and watch the Rangers play a baseball game. So, if you take a country guy to the concrete jungle of the DFW area, he wants to go back to Atascosa County pretty quickly. So, when our work trip took my boss and co-workers to Ft Worth, I was dreading the long ride and the scenery.

Was I surprised when I arrived at our first destination, Cattlemen’s Steakhouse. I looked around and marveled at the pictures of the award-winning cattle from the past. The next day, I took a ride downtown and decided to walk back to the Convention Center. The walk through downtown Sundance Square was interesting. I bumped into two mounted police units and even passed by the LKCM Radio Station that broadcasts through a speaker you can hear from the sidewalk. The radio station has two windows that the DJ sits in front of as he/ she broadcasts live. As I walked by, I waved and the female DJ waved back and announced my salutation over the air. The bootmakers and hat outfitters had shops like I had never seen before. They just had such a genuine, cowboy feel. My favorite thing to see was the historic stockyards.

Although I was there for four days, I did not reach my desired destination. I wanted to see Dealey Plaza and the museum, just 30 minutes away. Like I said, I was there on business and my time was scheduled. I left on a Tuesday and it so happens, the Dealey Plaza Museum is closed on Monday and Tuesday, my only days with a lenient schedule. Earlier this year, I was privileged to see the Eternal Flame of JFK’s Grave in Arlington National Cemetery. I posted pictures of it on my personal Facebook page. The entire visit to Arlington was of bucket list proportions. The entire story of JFK has always been an enthralling subject. Not the conspiracy theories or even his death, but his rise to prominence, his personal life and his legacy.

However, Dealey Plaza eludes me for now. When I do get to see it, believe me, I will tell you all about it.

As of late, history is taking a back seat in our world, so I sincerely thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed this week’s column, until next time.

MARTIN GONZALES is the Atascosa County Commission Chairman. If you have history of Atascosa County you’d like to share, you may contact him at 830-480-2741.

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