Happy March 2, Y'all

In a pawn shop in Austin, on a sunny summer day, I spotted a large Texas flag for sale—they claimed it had once flown over the Texas Capitol.

For $25 cash it was mine, and I hung it in my dorm room at Prather Hall, where it took up a wall. Later, it took up the 1920s stairwell in the house I lived in on Pearl Street. When I bought a small bungalow, the flag was larger than any wall in the house, so I started hanging it over the front porch on Longhorn game days and Texas Independence Day.* This tradition continued when we moved into Hipple House on 29th Street.

So, weather permitting, the flag will be out today—please honk and wave. You might catch me outside enjoying a Lone Star or Pearl beer. Happy Texas Independence Day, y’all.

*This is a good time to talk about something every true Texan should know: the proper way to hang a Texas flag vertically. According to guidelines adopted by the Texas State Legislature in 1933, the red stripe should be to the viewer’s right.