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August 16, 2022
Growing Up In Bandera
By Glenn Clark
The Bandera Prophet
Among popular topics of conversation around town is how things are changing or not changing in Bandera. Opinions will vary mostly due to the length of time it has taken someone to discover our little piece of heaven here in the Texas Hill Country.
The Newbies will usually be found making comments about the type of service they received at a local eating establishment or watering hole. It soon becomes obvious that they have landed in paradise but still can't seem to fit in. A prime example of square pegs found in a round hole environment. Lucky for them we just about have all the gravel roads blacktopped or else they might have turned around and went back to from where they came. Hmmmm?
Now people who have been around for a decade or two might still be trying to figure out what Bandera was back in the day so they will know what needs to be changed. They will ask questions and then try to visualize the things associated with the answers they receive. The problem with that is the answers will vary depending on who they are talking to at the time. Changing back to what we were is never going to work.
Even when the oldtimers meet up for story telling sessions the things they reminiscence about will be different. People from the same age group will share different kinds of stories of the old days because some of us lived as town kids while others were country kids living on ranches. Truth is, we were all country. Now our school stories will be similar because that was one of the things we all had in common. Otherwise our daily routines were a bit different.
The weekend movies at the Bantex Theater as well as when a carnival or skating rink came through town usually brought folks in from all over the county. I don't believe there is anyone from my early 60s high school days who didn't participate in the events surrounding Halloween Night activities in Bandera. No, I'm not talking about trick-or-treating. Let's just say it was quite an event. Those are just a few things that definitely have changed and won't be coming back.
I disagree quite often with some of my friends about changes that need to be done to preserve our heritage. In my opinion we have already destroyed things that to me were a part of our history in order to become a place that is more modern and a little more convenient.
As we move forward we need to keep a few things in mind looking back. Everyone's view will be a little different. Not everyone in Bandera was a cowboy. Not everyone in Bandera was a shingle maker. Some had sheep and goats. Some had cattle and horses. Just know that no one will fully understand or appreciate how lucky we were Growing Up In Bandera back in the day if they didn't live it!
GLENN CLARK #341
The Newbies will usually be found making comments about the type of service they received at a local eating establishment or watering hole. It soon becomes obvious that they have landed in paradise but still can't seem to fit in. A prime example of square pegs found in a round hole environment. Lucky for them we just about have all the gravel roads blacktopped or else they might have turned around and went back to from where they came. Hmmmm?
Now people who have been around for a decade or two might still be trying to figure out what Bandera was back in the day so they will know what needs to be changed. They will ask questions and then try to visualize the things associated with the answers they receive. The problem with that is the answers will vary depending on who they are talking to at the time. Changing back to what we were is never going to work.
Even when the oldtimers meet up for story telling sessions the things they reminiscence about will be different. People from the same age group will share different kinds of stories of the old days because some of us lived as town kids while others were country kids living on ranches. Truth is, we were all country. Now our school stories will be similar because that was one of the things we all had in common. Otherwise our daily routines were a bit different.
The weekend movies at the Bantex Theater as well as when a carnival or skating rink came through town usually brought folks in from all over the county. I don't believe there is anyone from my early 60s high school days who didn't participate in the events surrounding Halloween Night activities in Bandera. No, I'm not talking about trick-or-treating. Let's just say it was quite an event. Those are just a few things that definitely have changed and won't be coming back.
I disagree quite often with some of my friends about changes that need to be done to preserve our heritage. In my opinion we have already destroyed things that to me were a part of our history in order to become a place that is more modern and a little more convenient.
As we move forward we need to keep a few things in mind looking back. Everyone's view will be a little different. Not everyone in Bandera was a cowboy. Not everyone in Bandera was a shingle maker. Some had sheep and goats. Some had cattle and horses. Just know that no one will fully understand or appreciate how lucky we were Growing Up In Bandera back in the day if they didn't live it!
GLENN CLARK #341