The Saving Grace

By this point you could imagine that my patience and interest in the state was wearing thin... perhaps I should have just reported on the football I was sent for. But then it happened. A man who understood my quest... who gave me satisfaction!

His name was Will. And of course I recognized him by his name. Will! The sidekick from the musical! He found me sitting on the corner outside of a Starbucks in Oklahoma City (And might I say that these days the farmer and the cowman should not be friends... because they don't exist... I would settle for the barista and me to be friends... at least to get my drink right). As he approached I noticed a swagger in his step. He was slurring his words... just as a cowman would.

"How you doing, man?" He asked.

"I'm fine."

"Yeah... you got a coffee huh?"

"Yes."

"You get one of those pansy lattes-a-chinos?"

Now, normally I would. However, as terrific as Starbucks is, I did not trust the steamed milk from a state that couldn't even harmonize in a day to day situation, let alone break into spontaneous song. So I answered honestly.

"No. Black coffee."

Will smiled.

"I like your style! More bang for your buck you know?! For me, it's all or nothing."

He swaggered away. And at that time I realized my mistake. Oklahoma had grown... it had industrialized... and with this industry there just isn't time to create detailed story archs and break into a dream ballet sequence.

But the heart was still there. For me it's all or nothing... a motto for Oklahoma to stand for.

I left a mildly disappointed, but contented man... for me, it truly was all or nothing.

This is John Stevens, signing off.