SYNOPSIS: About The Story
The story of TEXAS: The Big Picture begins like many of
Texas' stories - around a campfire. By firelight, a cowboy strums a tune
about Texas under a starry sky. Songs and stories have memorialized and
mythologized Texas over time as a place big in spirit and rich in history.
The campfire sets the scene for more tales, starting with how Texas got
its name from the Native Americans as they encountered Spanish explorers
hundreds of years ago.
The word "Texas" means "friendly," an adjective that continues to capture
the Texas spirit to this day. Images from Texas' past, such as an early
settler's "dog-trot" cabin, fill the screen, as the words of Texans tell
how there is no place quite like Texas. Other early settlers, the vaqueros
from Mexico, brought their ranching traditions to Texas, paving the way
for the cowboy culture of today. Fancy roping, barrel racing, and even
"mutton bustin'" competitions are some of the many rodeo traditions that
are part of the state's heritage.
Equally diverse is the land itself, from the majestic mountains of Big
Bend in the west, to the towering skyscrapers of Houston in the east -
and everything in between. The land provides a home to some uniquely Texan
creatures, including armadillos, rattlesnakes and horned lizards. Texas'
unique geography also provides a prime source of energy - oil. Pumpjacks
thrust deep underground to recover untapped oil reserves, while offshore
rigs use state-of-the-art technology to tap resources off the Texas coast.
And Texas ingenuity doesn't stop there - even the air is converted into
energy by enormous windmills that harvest the strong wind currents of
West Texas.
Back on the ground, the currents of Texas' many rivers are enjoyed by
many not just for their beauty, but also as a source of recreation, from
sculling on the waters of Lake Austin to strolling along the historic
Riverwalk in San Antonio. The competitive spirit that has driven Texas
forward is evident in almost everything, particularly in sports like football.
But Friday night football is not the only form of entertainment. Texans
can be found "boot-scootin'" in dancehalls, marching in parades, having
fun at the State Fair in Dallas, and even visiting the Alamo - one of
Texas' most memorable sites.
Everything is bigger in Texas, and Texans tends to live life large. Even
the weather offers big changes from one minute to the next, from expansive
blue skies to torrential rains. With large imaginations, Texans have dreamed
up some incredible advances in science and technology, becoming leaders
in everything from agriculture and computer chips to space exploration.
And when we fly our Lone Star flag, we fly it big. This sense of boundless
imagination and opportunity continues to guide Texas into the future,
as the stories told around the campfires of the past become the legends
of tomorrow. And you don't have to be a Texan to appreciate Texas. Even
if you're not from Texas, Texas wants you anyway.
|
