Our Newest Citizen

Dear Miss Jenna,

You aren’t going to believe what happened. I knew how blue you were because you couldn’t put your feet in Texas this year. So me, being your crazy old Uncle Mike, decided to do the next best thing. I wanted to take Texas to you. Your Daddy has been telling me how hard you’ve been working on following the Cowgirl Rules. So I thought Texas would be proud to have such a dedicated, determined young cowgirl as a real Texan.

I called my state senator’s office to tell him I thought it would be a good idea to make Miss Jenna a real Texan. He wasn’t there, but I got to speak to his secretary. She said that they only offer Texas citizenship to kings and presidents, and people like that. She said it was a nice idea, but didn’t know of any way they could make it happen. She was a nice lady though, and gave me the phone number for my other senator, Senator Nelson, and suggested I call her. She’s been a senator for awhile, and she might know a way to bend the rules enough to make this happen.

So I  called Senator Nelson. She was in her office, and I got to tell her all about you. I told her how hard you work at being a real cowgirl, and how you keep Texas in your heart all year long. She said I could send in an email about why I thought you should be made a citizen of Texas. She reminded me of how special it is to be a Real Texan, and not everybody can be one. Only the most important people can become an Honorary Texan.

So I made the email, added some of these pictures, links to your stories, and wrote about all the things you’ve been doing to become a real cowgirl. I even told her all about the cowgirl rules. I called her the next day to make sure she got the email, and if she needed any more pictures,or stories. She told me that it was a sweet story, and that while Miss Jenna is certainly a cute cowgirl, becoming a Real Texan is usually done for just the important people, like a king or president, or sometimes a movie star, or a famous athlete. I told her that Our Miss Jenna was way more important than any of them people.  She was a nice lady and all, and told me the only person who could do something like that is the Governor of Texas, Rick Perry himself.  She gave me the name and number of the communications officer for the Governor’s Office, and suggested I call him.

Well, Miss Jenna, I called the Communications Director of The Office of the Governor for the State of Texas. (Gee, that’s a whole mouth full of words, isn’t it?). I got through to his secretary. She told me that my senators were correct, that being named as an Honorary Texan is a special honor that usually goes to heads of states, or a famous athlete or singer or something. But she agreed that if some stuffed-shirt geezer can be made a Texan, then we can think about making a little girl’s dream come true. She told me to forward the email package and she’ll make sure her boss sees it.  So I sent it in and  hoped for the best.

Two days later I get a call from a Mr. Greg Davidson. He told me he was the Communications Director for Constituent Affairs for the Office of the Governor for the State of Texas. What is it about grown-ups that make them want to stick so many words in front of their names? Anyway, Mr.Davidson said that someone being named an Honorary Texan is a decision only the Governor himself could make, and Governor Perry is very busy these days. He told me he would speak to the Governor about it if he got a chance. He told me to not get my hopes up. He said he liked the Dear Miss Jenna Letters,and the Cowgirl Rules. I told him, in the best grown-up words I could, that I would also be writing about this story. Depending on how the story came out would determine which blog it would get posted to.

Well, Miss Jenna, just two days later  I get a call back from Mr. Davidson. He was able to speak with Governor Perry about you. He told him all about the  Dear Miss Jenna letters and the cowgirl rules. Then he told the Governor how you didn’t get to come to Texas this summer, and how it broke both of our hearts. He showed the Governor your pictures.  He told the governor how you promised me to keep Texas in your heart until your feet are in Texas again.

He then showed the Governor the picture you sent me when you found out  that you wouldn’t be coming to Texas this year.  I’m told Governor Perry looked at the picture a long time. After a minute, he told Mr. Davidson;

” As long as the dream of Texas is alive in the hearts of children like Jenna, as long as they see us as the place of opportunity and hope, then Texas will always be a special,almost magical place. Well, Greg, if the girl’s dream is to become a real cowgirl, in Texas, we are in the business of making dreams come true. Get the papers drawn up, and let’s do this.”

Mr. Davidson just happened to have a certificate all ready drawn up. He told me Governor Perry had a big grin on his face as he signed it.

I’m going to put it in a frame, and I’ll send it to you very soon.

Well, Miss Jenna, it’s all official and stuff, you are now a Real Texan. Just as you promised me that you would keep Texas in your heart until your feet are in Texas again; I promised you Texas would keep you in it’s heart until you are back under the Texas Sky again.

Love Always,

          Uncle Mike

You might also be interested in the following;

Dear Miss Jenna

The Cowgirl Rules

Kandy’s Korner

And now a note for the Grown-Ups;

    This is the blog I use for the children. Derogatory Political comments will be deleted, you have plenty of other places to vent. Through the whole process, the people I talked to and dealt with were accommodating and helpful. In my opinion Governor Perry did the right thing here, and truly made a little girl’s dream come true. That’s a good thing in my book.  Whether or not you agree with his beliefs and politics, this is not the place to make it known.

 A special thanks to Mr.Greg Davidson for getting this done so quickly. I was amazed it happened so fast. And to his secretary, for getting it to his attention so quickly. I regret not getting your name, for a personal thank you, for I know how things really get done in Austin. Thank you so much.