SAN ANGELO, Texas -

One of the things I am most grateful for in life is being able to attend private education both in high school and college. The two experiences could not have been more different, however, as I went from a “Christian” school that had only gone through a KJV/NKJV controversy just years before to a liberal arts college that was very liberal. Along with the natural growing pains with any college, I think I am still experiencing culture shock from that move nine years later.

On my journey, one benefit of feeling different from other people where you’re located is the ability to see things unfold in a unique way that those in the fog of war may not see. Furthermore, being the youngest also allowed me to learn from my older siblings’ mistakes growing up and doing that. My stubborn mouth would not let me.

Side note: It is never smart to say “Repeat to me what I just said” to your Dad who asked you to repeat what he just said. That is not the answer he was wanting. Luckily, for this music educators’ son, I had a harmonica that was most likely taken from a booth at TMEA/TCDA in which I would play as if I was that character in Andy Griffith that always seemed to be in the jail cell.

In San Angelo, that meant seeing my Dad teach with fewer resources than teachers on the other side of town. Shout out to Taurean Prince’s old neighborhood, Sterlin Gilbert’s old high school, and the school from the Northside. It was frustrating to see him go up and get paid less than teachers I thought he was better than even though, in Texas, they were competing against the same schools with lesser talent. It was not looked at through school size such as athletics.

When I first got to Trinity, I joined the cross-country team. It was an easy way to gain friends and get adjusted to life on campus. Before I arrived, there was a legendary runner from Wall, Texas who had been on the team. While I was there, I was surprised to hear that the team had made jokes about this person being from Wall. It was funny to me because to those in the concho valley area, Wall is seen as an amazing place to grow and raise a family. Just like I’d look at those administrators with a funny look, I’d look at these people like they were crazy.

Similarly, I would tell people in New York that I went to a school called Trinity but not Trinity College. We were Trinity University, in San Antonio. We had famous alums and a rather large endowment. Maybe we were overcompensating?

When I would tell people this, they’d be like “Oh, I’ve always wanted to visit Austin!” I would not talk to those people again. I am kidding. I did, but they ended up on my bad list. Yes, Austin is cool, but San Antonio is way better and a cheaper way to live. I would tell that to anyone and everyone, especially later to my UNT MPA Cohort.

Courtesy: UNT Department of Public Administration

There was an ICMA conference held in San Antonio in 2017, and it was my proudest homecoming. A prodigal son returning to his adopted hometown trying to show his new city management friends why San Antonio is the best. Never mind that I had been at the convention center what seemed like hundreds of times before for music conventions or that I remember the convention center before its recent renovations and hotel expansion that took place before the 2008 Final Four. My friends wanted to explore the River Walk. I wanted to explore The Pearl and Southtown. In a niche NBA podcast, I even got my feelings hurt when San Antonio did not make the top five markets to visit for a game.

Like when I was in NYC, friends and family wanted to see Times Square or the Vessel. I would take them, but I would protest it, especially when there were cooler things to do. Go to the Highline for it was made by someone from Bexar County (Alamo Heights still counts.) I once professed my desire to go to Iowa or New Hampshire in the early months of the presidential election cycle and someone who had done that asked, “Why? It is very cold.”

Perception is reality, I guess, and perception is something that has been done over and over again.

Speaking of San Antonio, in 2013-2014, Cartoon Network released a new version of Looney Tunes. In it, Lola Duck, mentions how much of a “Manu Ginobili” fan she was. In speaking to the San Antonio Express-News, Wake Forest alum Tim Duncan was watching it with his children when he heard that name and immediately texted his teammate. It turns out that the main writer is from San Antonio.

Recently, Disney Plus released a newer imagined Rescue Rangers movie. They used the same tired old trope of a down on his luck, past his prime star and one who is a sensible star who is now an insurance salesman. You’ve seen it before.

If you want to write a script, get an established star, a cast of unknowns, a producer or writer from said comedy, and voila you have a sitcom. Let’s tackle Stranger Things.

• Winona Ryder, an established star from Gen X

• Murray, an actor well-known for roles in Fleabag

• A young cast of unknowns

• An Appeal to a generation: the 80s.

• A song they can push from the 80s: Kate Bush

Name any sitcom and you have the same. I mentioned Yellowstone and Succession earlier but can easily mention shows like Abbott Elementary, 8 Simple Rules, and Three’s Company, to shows like New Leave it To Beaver, Scrubs, and Ted Lasso. By the way, Bill Lawrence was the showrunner for Scrubs and is one for Ted Lasso. That is why they are similar.

That you can get cult heroes like Cousin Greg or Carlton or Gilligan or Gomer Pyle is a feature, not a bug.

Similarly, reality shows follow the same pattern. There’s a producer edit and how much you buddy up to the cast more than likely shows how you are going to be portrayed. I try to think of that when I watch Duck Dynasty, the Chrislies, and 90 Day Fiance. I can point to what is editing and instead of trying to point out, I have been just trying to turn my mind off and just enjoy what is meant to be mindless tv.

Again, it is a proven method. Similarly, if you have a large social media account be it Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or only fans, there is a way to market yourself. There is a time to post and a way to grow organically. I hate it because it is so fake, but still. You have children who want to be recruited for football who end up more like Hello Newmans than Lavar Ball and his family. There’s social media porn which is pics of traveling and fun pics to being interacting with people. You get rewarded for using the apps. There is a thing called shadowbanning and you get more engagement when you make bite-sized clips.

Here’s the thing: most celebrities don’t run their social media. It is run by a marketing agency that knows what the popular thing to do is. Drake follows 90-day fiance on Instagram? OH, he’s a fan like me. I am going to get his music. Taylor Swift likes this song or collaborates with Katy Perry? Oh, she is smart. Meanwhile, our grandparents just want to be able to see their grandchildren, no wonder they can get radicalized.

Fun Story: you know Nick Adams, that troll account on Twitter? Well, I’ve met him. It was 2017 in New York City. I was a production assistant in NYC. He had spoken at chapel at my old school. I got his contact info and he wanted to meet me. I was a production assistant making 15 dollars an hour. We went to the Starbucks next door (The NHL Starbucks is what I call it) and we fumbled around an introduction. He gave me his business card and let me know that he was available for work. It did not hit me until later that he was trying to get into fox news as a job. He thought that I, a production assistant, could help.

Back in 2012 and 2016, in two very different ways, I went from not believing that Romney could lose to feeling the same way about Hillary in 2016. It was then that I planned to question everything. I still do to this day.

I’m reminded of that when I get on social media and see fake pictures that are doctored and pictures of people traveling. I’d much rather see the ugly stuff. that is more real.

Back to the title. It’s a relient k song but it is a song that’s been played over and over again by every smart musician. It is tried and true.

I probably stole this story and added my commentary to it. Who’s to say I didn’t?

As my old friend from Flower Mound used to say, “Question Everything.”