Not Fixin' to Say Fixin'

After a nearly seven year stint in our nation's capital, I'm headed back to the Lone Star State next week. My husband and I ate lunch yesterday at the Lone Star Steakhouse to kick things off. He commented on the moose head on the wall, by the kitchen. He asked, "Do they have moose in Texas?" I responded, "Uh - I don't think so. Yeah, that's weird." So perhaps a chain restaurant like Lone Star isn't the way to get into the Texas state of mind.

There's another way to get into the Texas state of mind, though, and that's the jargon. I'm gradually adding "y'all" back into my vocabulary. I kind of like "y'all." Sure, "you" can be plural, but it can lead to some confusion. People don't know whether they're being singled out or lumped into a group when you use "you." And that's where "y'all" fits in nicely. The only thing is - real Texans also use "y'all" to refer to just one person. So you eliminated the confusion by coming up with "y'all" and then you reinserted the confusion by using "y'all" to refer to just me? I guess that's how it works, y'all. Welcome to Texas.

"Fixin,'" however, I refuse to say. Nope. I just won't do it. While I am much more partial to a good Northeastern accent, I am willing to admit that a Southern drawl can be charming at times. But there's a difference between charming and hick, and to me, "fixin'" easily crosses that line. I may be "fixing" my car or "fixing" my hair, but I will never be "fixin" to buy a new t.v. or "fixin'" to find a new job. I won't even be "fixin'" to grab a can of Lone Star beer with salt sprinkled on the rim.

So I guess in Texas, I'll always be a Yankee.