A lot is made of being a big city person living on the coasts, but there is definitely a sense of pride in being born and raised in what some people would call “Fly over” states like Oklahoma. While New York and Los Angeles are nice places to visit, they don’t compare to the great steaks, beautiful prairies, or modestly priced home loans in Oklahoma.
The Red River Rivalry
If you’re going to call the Michigan-Ohio State game the best rivalry in college football, then the Red River Rivalry has to be a close second. If you bleed crimson and cream, you wait for this game every year like it’s Christmas. If your eyes tear with pride every time you see the Sooner Schooner, then you know what this game means to the state. Sorry, Oklahoma State fans.
Kevin Durant and the Thunder
Sure, Lebron and company may be hoisting another championship down in South Beach, but you can’t help but be optimistic if you’re an Oklahoma City Thunder fan. Perennial scoring leader Kevin Durant looks to be a team constant for the next two decades or so and Russell Westbrook is surely one of the best guards in the NBA and possibly the best complimentary pieces this side of the Mississippi.
The Job Market
Struggling to find a job? Then you must not be from Oklahoma. Oklahoma boasts a pretty impressive unemployment rate, as compared to the national average. While the country’s unemployment rate is in the 7.5% rate, Oklahoma is nearly half that at 4.9%.
The Housing Market
If you showed a person from Oklahoma City what their money would get them in when it comes to an apartment in New York City, you may have to give them a minute to compose his or herself. While that may be hyperbolic, the truth is that Oklahoma City is one of the most affordable metropolitan areas in the country and one of the strongest markets. This means that not only are home loans in Oklahoma easier to afford than somewhere like New Jersey, it also means that in today’s economic climate, the value of the house is on the rise.
All the Food
New York can have its pizza; it can’t compare to the food that you can find in the Sooner State. Best known for its steak, finding a steakhouse in a city in Oklahoma is like trying to find a Starbuck’s in Seattle: chances are, there’s one on the next street corner. From Cattlemen’s in Oklahoma City to Sid’s Diner in El Reno (featured in Man vs. Food), you just can’t beat the food Oklahoma has to offer. And if you’re in the mood for some good old fast food, Oklahoma gets to call itself the birthplace of Sonic.
Chuck Norris Was Born Here
That’s right, before he was the mythical man who doesn’t sleep (he waits), Chuck Norris grew up in Ryan, Oklahoma. So if you ever plan on saying something bad about Oklahoma, you better watch yourself. You never know when a roundhouse kick is going to find you.
Picturesque Prairies
If you’ve ever whistled, “Home on the Range” and romanticized about a life on the prairie, you may as well have been thinking about living in Oklahoma. Drive outside of any of the cities in just about any direction and you’ll be seeing vast prairies and big skies in no time. The countryside of Oklahoma is so pristine; it looks like man hasn’t touched it at all. You may even get to see one or two bison if you’re lucky.
Oklahoma Has a Musical and You Don’t
That is, of course, unless you’re from Chicago… or Saigon. Regardless, if you’ve ever wondered just how to spell the name of the state, musical composer team Rodgers and Hammerstein did you a favor. Oklahoma! Is one of the most beloved musicals of all-time and if you sing just a bar of any of the songs, you’ll probably get it stuck in your head.
Oklahoma has a lot of Midwest charm to it and while there are other great places to live, there’s no shame in being proud to be from the Sooner State.
Featured images:
License: Royalty Free or iStock
source: www.shutterstock.com
License: Royalty Free or iStock source: www.shutterstock.com
Stephen is currently living in New York City, but he’ll always call Oklahoma City his first home. He works in the accounting department of an ad agency and is still looking for steaks that compare to Cattlemen’s.
