Why We’re Staying in Abilene
Even though Sunday is my last day to preach at Highland, we’re staying in Abilene. Why?
Things I’ve loved about Abilene:
1. Highland. It’s home. So much home that this primarily explains why we intend to stay here. I’ve trusted my life for eighteen years to the leaders of this church, and I’ll gladly do so now that I’m “going to church for free.”
2. The Abilene School District — especially Abilene High. We’ve loved the diversity the school system has offered. Our boys have had good friends who are rich and poor, black and white. The school reflects the town. We want Chris to finish up at AHS not just because he’s halfway through, but because we really like the school.
3. ACU. Royce Money became president just about the time we moved here in 1991, and under his leadership the school has made bold, responsible steps. I love teaching my freshmen classes.
4. The size. Diane likes smaller towns, and I love urban areas. This sort of meets in the middle (tilting toward small, in my opinion). You can get anywhere in about ten minutes, and we don’t have traffic jams.
5. The people. If your only knowledge of our population comes from the letters to the editor of the ARN or from the comments section on the ARN’s website, you might imagine that everyone is a cantankerous, name-calling knucklehead. Not all — just some of the loud ones (like anyplace, I suppose).
6. The restaurants. Oh, there’s no Pappasito’s, Pappadeux, or Catina Laredo (some of our fav Ft. Worth restaurants). But there’s Perini’s, Sharon’s, Harold’s, Abuelo’s, Carino’s, Szechuan’s, Los Arcos, Betty Rose’s, Joe Allen’s . . . and Taco Bueno (when it’s the end of the month and everyone is out of $$ . . . this was where Bueno began, after all!).
7. The Abilene Reporter-News. I’m from a newspaper family, and I can be a newspaper snob. But this is a seriously good paper for a city of this size. It’s not the NY Times, of course. But I have access to that online. I’ve enjoyed eating my cereal while reading the paper all these years.
8. The business connections: our car dealership (Arrow Chrysler — just out of business last month thanks to the Chrysler downsizing) . . . our bank (First Financial) . . . our grocery stores (HEB for me and United for Diane) . . . etc.
9. The grave. It’s been a long time since our daughter died, and we aren’t tied to the cemetery where she’s buried like we were early on. Still, it’s nice to be near there and to gather with friends on Easter morning.
10. Our friends. This probably falls under #1 and #5 above, but I decided to list it separately. We’ve been blessed beyond description by our friendships here.
I guess I should mention that are a few things I don’t like:
1. The heat. I’ll start here. It’s supposed to be about 105 again today. I miss four solid seasons. But it works for Diane. My perfect temperature is about 55; hers is about 90.
2. The looks. Sometimes I just have to stay off of Treadaway, S. 11th, hwy 80, etc. Too much junk is just left and too many delapidated buildings just abandoned — probably because there is plenty of land. Plus, I love mountains. I will say, though, that when I look out the window of my new office it strikes me that there is plenty of beauty here as well. A drive out 277 or toward Buffalo Gap reinforces that.
3. The airport. Actually, this one I need to unpack a bit — because I think through the years my favorite airport personnel (including, of course, the ticket agents for American Eagle) have been my favorite anywhere. But there’s usually only one airline, and we’re at the mercy of all the connections at DFW. I will say this, though: when flights are running on time, it’s a sweet deal. I can probably get to DFW quicker from my house (via American Eagle) than some of my friends in the metroplex.
I could probably think of a few other things I don’t love, but overall, it’s been a wonderful home, a great place to raise our children.
Mike, sounds like a great list! There’s something about Abilene. #3 is high on my list if I lived there but I do love Pappasitos here in DFW!!!
I’ll eat a fajita for ya the next time I go!! -donny
Abilene is lucky to have you. I will be praying for you on Sunday morning as you end one incredible chapter and get ready to begin another. You are a blessing, my friend.
qb is just a sometimes visitor, but this last visit for football camp cinched it for me, too. Great place, primarily because of its blue-collarness (not to mention its wide array of fabulous breakfast burros). And I can get my #52 fix at Rosa’s, no beans, extra picadillo, and all the pico de gallo I can eat.
One good thing about the ABI airport, too – the shaded, hail-resistant airport parking with plenty of unused spaces. A little pricey – $8/day is 15% higher than the indoor parking at AMA Rick Husband Airport – but good. (Hey, is it too much to ask for a little advance notice of the left turn onto N. 10th St. as you drive north from the airport?)
qb
I’m glad you’re staying — you and your family are a blessing to that town.
But I have to add this…
I really don’t understand your love affair with the New York Times (especially since you come from a newspaper family). It is incredibly biased and agenda-driven.
I don’t have a love affair with the NY Times. I like it, however, because it’s a great newspaper. Biased? Of course. What news media isn’t? At least they aren’t trying to fool anyone by claiming that they’re “fair and balanced.” You’re only “fair and balanced” to those who agree with your angle. To others, you’re “unfair and unbalanced.” Best just not to live with the illusion.
Try this piece in the NYT by Bono: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/07/10/opinion/10bono.html?_r=1.
Mike, does qb understand you to believe that “all the news that’s fit to print” isn’t a claim of pervasive journalistic objectivity?
Illusion, indeed.
The NYT, which qb reads regularly in airports (to avoid the astonishingly puerile USA Today), may be the most culturally elitist, self-important rag out there. That’s not to say it’s not a superior newspaper. But to pretend that the NYT does not claim to be ‘fair and balanced’ simply because she doesn’t use those specific words in her motto is to be guilty of sloppy *ahem* newspaper exegesis.
(One shudders to think what I-II Samuel might have looked like if the NYT had written them!)
BTW, “fair and balanced” is the motto of an entity in a completely different medium, right? Perhaps a better contrast could be the WSJ apple rather than the FoxNews orange. Taken together, the NYT and WSJ present a more fully nuanced image of important news than either of them generates by itself.
Cheerfully,
qb
Abilene was a great town for four years. I’m glad I left and moved on with life, but I wouldn’t mind a longer stint there in the future.
qb – Are you telling me that you believe some people at the NYT aren’t aware of bias?
Fair enough.
Not “some people,” Mike, but the ones who are the long-term custodians of the paper’s motto and reputation, which is to say, those at or near the top.
But very well; despite the NYT’s often insufferable haughtiness, she’s much like an electric fence or a fresh habanero salsa; qb can neither let go nor stop eating, no matter the agony.
qb
My husband and I always said we would return to the town where we met and married when retirement came, but now that the time nears, we don’t even like to talk about leaving where we’ve been for 20+ years. There’s something wonderful about knowing a place and being content to stay there…
I’ll be thinking of you & all those who will be with you this weekend—family & your congregation. All the best….
Makes me want to move to Abilene!
YOU ARE ALWAYS IN MY THOUGHTS AND PRAYERS BROTHER.
GOD BLESS YOU AND YOUR FAMILY IN A MIGHTY WAY!!!!!
Good list Mike. But, I don’t know about #2. AISD is a good school district – for Texas. But that’s really not saying a lot, now is it?
My kids are only elementary age. But, I feel as though I have to make the choice between putting them in AISD and giving them the benefit of a multicultural environment but with stifled academics, or put them in Abilene Christian Schools where they can enjoy fantastic academics but in a Christian (fundamentalist?) bubble.
In that regard, I miss living in a state with a stronger educational system. Otherwise, Abilene is a great place to raise a family…
Great list! Abilene is a special place:)
Mike – I have no problem with putting your kids in ACS. I hear it’s a great school.
But we’ve never felt burdened by “stifled academics” in AISD. Plus we consider the multicultural environment a part of the eduction that we want for our kids — not just a serendipidy.
I accept this — and understand — but I still hold out hope that someday . . .
I will be thinking of you tomorrow!
No matter the reasons, I’m just pleased you’ve decided to stick around!
Being a fairly new resident of Abilene and having come here sight unseen, Abilene has been a delightful surprise, with the exception of summer’s weather.
The people are friendly and seem to live by the doing random acts of kindness motto. And then there’s Highland. What a loving group of God’s children!!!
Next week, dear pastor/teacher/preacher/friend – with joy in our hearts we’ll welcome you to the general admission pew section at Highland!
5. ……you might imagine that everyone is a cantankerous, name-calling knucklehead. Not all — just some of the loud ones (like anyplace, I suppose).
Just finished up our daughter’s youth league summer softball tournament today. Yep, I can confirm that we have some of those same loud knucklehead’s here in middle American in central Illinois.
I can add one thing to the list of things that my family and I liked most and miss most about Abilene – something that you can’t:
Mike Cope.
Objectivity, it seems to me, is more like a journey or a process than it is a particular conclusion. And this is the case whether we’re dealing with news reporting or interpreting the Bible. We all carry our own set of values, biases and presuppositions into any factual inquiry or discussion. Mike, you probably remember how Ray Muncy would start every new class by writing on the board the phrase: “Historians reflect the tenor of their times.”
The more important questions when considering objectivity are: (1) Am I aware of and do I freely acknowledge those values and biases, and how they impact the way I view the world; and (2) Am I willing to seek out and honestly consider alternative points of view. To paraphrase someone older and wiser than myself, we aren’t really listening to another person unless we approach the conversation with the willingness to let that other person’s message change me in some way.
And I think the New York Times’ mantlehead statement “All the news that’s fit to print” speaks more to their attempt to be the ‘paper of record’ than any claim of objectivity. FoxNews’ slogan of “Fair and balanced” is just blatant baloney.
Abilene and ACU are better for you staying! But now perhaps you can visit some other places you love a little more.
Gary H = FoxNews’ slogan of “Fair and balanced” is just blatant baloney.
May I refer you back to your citing of “…someone older and wiser…” and their suggestion?
Mike, thank you for this reminder of what a great place Abilene is. I also moved there in ’91, and moved away in ’03. Abilene will always hold a special place in my heart, for many of the same reasons you mentioned. And, as a proud AISD employee from ’96 – ’03, I want to thank you for your kind comments about the school district!
Born and raised there and wouldn’t mind moving back. I was a little disappointed at my 30th last month that so many AHS grads had up and moved to Wylie ISD, but, to each their own.
I think Abilene moved light years ahead when the City finally and fully embraced it’s excellent three private universities, and each decided to work with each other.
If we could get the water and pine trees over to West Texas, we’d really be set.
How ironic that someone complains about AISD in these posts while others praise the NYT. I have a good friend whose daughter was validictorian at an AISD school (I doubt I spelled that right!) who is now a high ranking editor of the NYT. Amazing that she could accomplish so much having recieved such an inferior education!
I love to laugh at people who like to bash school systems. I went to a sub-par school system, 65 graduates and at my 20th was suprised to see how many doctors, dentists, lawyers, nurses, CPAs, etc. there were in the class. My favorite was a lawyer, with a practice much more financially sucessful than mine, who had made a 6 on his ACT. I am sure our school system would not compare to AISD today.(To be fair, he basically connected the dots on his score sheet!)
BTW, for those of you who do not know, Mike’s wife works for AISD!
I used to work at the Abilene Reporter-News (and a few other, smaller newspapers), and I’d have to say that the unofficial motto of all of them is “All the News That Fits, We Print” – and the rest, they put online.
I heard I made the “closing credits” of your preaching career yesterday. Working with you that year was fun, challenging, heart-wrenching and educational. I took mental notes on the importance of boundaries in ministry, and I was able to develop psychic powers that have come in very handy for motherhood and being married to a minister. I’m glad you’re sticking around. We’d love to see you some time when we’re passing through. (Which, incidentally, is next week. We keep an eye on the weather and when it looks like Abilene is at its absolute hottest, we come down for camp.) We love you and Diane and look forward to seeing where your ministry journey takes you from here.
Kathy, I appreciate your suggestion but am rather confused over your apparent equation of an advertising slogan with honest communication.
Gary H
Well! Now we’re both confused.
What advertising slogan and what honest communication?
Given what print journalism fancies itself to be, how does one distinguish an ambition “to be the newspaper of record” from an implicit claim to be a paragon of journalistic objectivity?
Just wondering,
qb
Kathy, I’m concerned that if I tried to make a substantive comment at this point, it would be based on me misunderstanding where you are coming from, which I certainly don’t want to do. Could you restate your original point a bit more directly?
qb, I suppose such a determination would require an examination of one’s motives and intentions, which are often rather mysterious things.
Mike,
Did you know Scottie Lingelbach in Neosho, Mo.? She is in Tom Brokaw’s “Greatest Generation.”
Gary H – thank you for your gentle consideration. I do think we both know where we’re coming from – two different directions – and out of respect for Mike and his blog, how about we shelve this for a possible face-to-face enjoyable tete a tete in the future? And again, bless you for your considerate gentleness in recognizing our political differences of opinion.
What a pleasure to know we are joint heirs in Jesus our Christ!! o/
Mike,
We don’t know one another, but I enjoy your blog and have long appreciated your writing ministry. Best wishes on your transition from the pulpit. As a former minister to college students and a full-time “discipling minister” now, I’ve bought and used dozens and dozens of copies of your book “Righteousness Inside Out” for discipling groups. A very readable and practical help as a companion study for Matthew 5 – 7. I now direct a discipling ministry here in middle Tennessee – The Timothy Network. I’ve included a link to your blog on our website.
Make disciples!
Mike Stroud
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
Years ago a dear sister in Christ, Mary Pervier, told me that God had to put a lot of very nice people in Abilene to offset the climate and surroundings. That has always stuck with me. There seems to be a crossroads between Abilene and my hometown St. Louis. My wife graduated from ACU [it was ACC back then]. Our first youth minister, Stanley Shipp moved to St. Louis from Abilene in 1970 and brought a whole bunch of young people over the years with him. My in-laws moved to Christian Village and lived out there final days there. They are buried in Abilene. My daughter graduated from ACU. My son-in-law and daughter lived there when he coached the men’s basketball team for ACU. And, my granddaughter was born there. I have spent a large portion of my life traveling back and forth from St. Louis to Abilene. I think it feels like going from Nazareth to Jerusalem.
Brad,
I think Mary’s explanation is perfect. I am originally from the Northwest…. Mary was right!
Brad,
I remember the day Abbey came to Abilene. While in the waiting room we watched Texas beat Michigan in the Rose Bowl. Now her mean father has taken her to Michigan in the hopes of brainwashing our natural born Texan. I fear for her well being. I would appreciate any intervention you can muster.
During my senior year at ACC (and my first year of marriage) my wife and I were driving back to Abilene after having spent the weekend in Austin. The water pump went out of old car and we were stuck by the side of the road outside Brownwood after dark. A family with a couple kids in a car older than ours stopped and took us to our apartment in Abilene. In that era poorer folks showing kindness to others in need was commonplace in Abilene. I could tell so many stories about people like the Baptist auto mechanic fixing my old car and hardly charging me for the parts. There were a lot of nice folks there and I still have fond memories of the place, even if it is a little bleak and dusty.
Hey Mike. This is off-topic, but I thought with your upcoming work with Landon, this blog post regarding online social media would be interesting:
http://www.poptech.org/blog/index.php/archives/4438
Thanks for the fabulous list, Mike! Now that we have made Abilene our home (as of 6 weeks ago), it was refreshing and encouraging to read! We are glad your family will still be in town!
Blessings!
Scottie (Lingelbach) David was a teacher in Neosho and was a good friend of your Grandmother Bush.
Hey Mike. I’d love to see an iPhone pic of the view from your office. Thinking of you with chocolate pie this week! And jealous of the new project in your back yard!