Melissa Bartlett

When my daughter moved back to the Dallas area last summer it was hard on me, of course. I had to drive her and my granddaughter away from being near me in Amarillo. The apartment they found was in Farmer's Branch.

There's a list of the richest towns in Texas, but here's what's at the very top!

Texas has it all. With the amount of land we encompass we should have it all. The problem is that we are losing some things at an alarming rate. Yes, Texas is one of the largest states so that means we should have plenty of land to share with the animals.

Did you know that a simple trip to your mailbox could lead you into some hot water? I am not talking about the fact that you have a ton of bills that need paying. I'm not talking about the junk mail that you get constantly. That can be a headache but not what could get you in trouble necessarily.

Oh, the good ol' state of Texas. You have given us so much to be proud of. You have been there to let others know not to mess with us. I don't know of any other state in this great country that has the resources to make it on our own.

Earlier this year I took to social media to complain. OK, that is what a lot of us do. I was hoping my complaints would fix a problem I was seeing around Amarillo. I know in a perfect world everyone would do the right thing.

Those that were born in Texas have that Texas pride. You can tell. Then there are those of us who weren't born here but got here as fast as we could. Isn't that the saying? That is what I have always heard.

I have a mantra that I tend to go by. In Chick-fil-A we trust. I know it's a fast food place. Oh, but I think they are doing things a bit different. I mean they have made "my pleasure" a known response to anytime a guest says thank you.

We are proud of our state. Heck, whether you were born here or not you develop this Texas pride. Some of us have it at birth. The rest of us it becomes a part of us once we cross that state line and gain residency.

We have heard it time and time again, Don't Mess with Texas. We are very big into not littering in our great state. We have Texas pride and we are not afraid to show it. So when we see people tossing things out of the window of their car we take offense.

The weather can be something else here in Texas. You can start the day with sunshine. You can also quickly change to storms in no-time. I was always told if you don't like the weather give it ten minutes because it can change.

Prison life should not be easy. Prison life should not be glorious. Prison life should be tough. There has to be a lesson learned. There needs to be some roughing it to turn your life around. There should be a deterrent to keep one from wanting to go back.