Cut From A Different Herd

Episode Description 

If you really want to understand Texas, don’t just read the history books—sit at a Texas family table and listen. 

In today’s episode of The Texan Edge, we explore how Texas identity is passed down not through dates and battles alone, but through family stories. Stories told quietly, personally, and with pride. Stories that stretch back generations and shape how Texans see themselves and the world. 

This episode is about roots, memory, and the responsibility of carrying forward the stories that made us who we are—whether you were born in Texas or found your way here later in life. 

That’s today’s Texan Edge.  

Show Notes 

• Why the heart of Texas history lives at the family table
• What happens when Texans talk about where they come from
• Multi-generation roots and the pride that comes with them
• Small family stories that connect to big Texas moments
• A passing mention of Sam Houston and the road to Battle of San Jacinto
• The “chest expansion factor” and what it reveals about identity
• Pride vs. pridefulness: knowing who you are without arrogance
• Why family stories act as fuel during hard times
• How Texans pass down grit, resilience, and belonging
• Why telling your story gives the next generation a map

If this episode stirred a memory or made you think of your own people, consider sharing it with someone who carries a story worth telling.
 
We’ll be back tomorrow with a look at Texas history.
 

This isn't just a podcast, it's a Texas state of mind.

Chapters

• 0:06 Welcome And Thesis
• 0:15 Why Family Beats Textbooks
• 0:41 Generations And The Chest Expansion
• 1:39 Belonging Beyond Birthplace
• 2:42 Close And Tomorrow’s Tease

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:06

Well, hi there, and welcome back to the Texan Edge, your daily dose of Texan inspiration and motivation. I'm Tweed Scott. If you really want to understand Texas, well, just don't read the history books. Sit at a Texas family table and just listen. Over and over as I've talked with folks around the state over the years, I saw the same thing happening. Ask them what Texas means to them, and at some point their eyes soften. Their voice drops just a little, and they start talking about family. Not in a vague family values kind of way, but in a let me tell you about your great Aunt Sarah's way. You meet people whose roots go back four, five, seven generations on Texas soil. They talk about how ancestors who ran a general store in some town that barely exists now, or a great-great uncle who brought water to Sam Houston's horse two weeks before the Battle of San Yacino. The details might be small and they will vary, but the pride is unmistakably huge. I call it the chest expansion factor. The further back the Texas roots go, the farther out that chest seems to expand and push when they tell people the story. Kids grow up hearing over and over all those stories. You know, somebody in our family helped make Texas Texas, and that does something inside of a young person. Now here's the beautiful part of it all. It's not necessarily pridefulness, it's a deep, settled sense of knowing who you are and where you come from. You're part of something bigger than yourself, something heroic and romantic, and yes, something special. For a lot of Texans, it feels like they were cut from a different herd. And I've joked about that, that when babies are born in Texas, it seems like they were just like cattle. They were branded with that T chromosome thing that I talk about. Now, maybe you weren't born in Texas, but let me tell you something. Truth be told, neither was I. But that doesn't shut you out. You can start building that same sense of rootedness wherever you are. You can pass along stories of your people, where they struggled, where they stood up, and where they showed grit and grace. You can make sure that your kids know they come from folks who didn't quit. And if you're a Texan with deep roots, remember this. Your stories are not just old tales for holiday dinners. They're fuel. When you tell them, well, you're handing the next generation a map that says, here's who we are, and here's how we act when life gets hard. Well, that's your Texan edge for today. Live and tell your story in a way that lets the next herd know exactly where they came from. And we'll plan on seeing you again tomorrow with a peek into some Texas history.