I might have not had a vote in the decision that resulted me in being born in Texas, but I have for the last 18 years continued to choose again and again to call Oklahoma home. I haven’t stayed for the money, the fame, the low-point beer or any other materialistic reason. I suppose I have stayed for one rather simple reason, “I am proud to be an Okie.” Sure, we have our rift raft, hoodlums, hoodwinks and scoundrels,
but I think Merle Haggard summed it up best - Oklahomans - with the words, “We like livin’ right, and bein’ free.”
Whether it is finding work after an oil bust, changing careers when the economy changes or cleaning up after a devasting tornado, Oklahomans know the value of labor.
Our state motto, “Labor Omnia Vincit” which translates to “labor conquers all things” is more than a motto to most of us. It is a way of life - our way of life.