I still live there. Most people don’t know anything about Lubbock. When I grew up in the 1970s & 80s, it was big on farming, and not much else. The smaller towns around Lubbock will give you an idea of what it’s like: Plainview, Brownfield, and Levelland are a few examples.
When I try to describe Lubbock, I tell people it’s the hometown of Buddy Holly. He was a singer in the 1950s. Maybe you don’t recognize his name, but you might have heard some of his songs, “Oh Boy!” “That’ll Be the Day”, “Every Day”, or maybe “Not Fade Away”. Many artists still record covers of his hits. You should look him up and listen to a few tunes.
A better known “Lubbockite” (that’s what we call ourselves) is Patrick Mahomes. He didn’t grow up in Lubbock, but he was the star quarterback at Texas Tech University. Most Texas Tech fans are Kansas City Chiefs fans, but if you’re an Eagles fan, that’s okay too.
I graduated from high school in 1985! Can you imagine what high school was like back then? We still went to basketball and football games, we had homework, dances, and questionable food in the cafeteria. We didn’t have smart phones or Tik Tok. You had to wait for someone to call you and hope no one else at home was using the telephone. You had to be home in time to watch your favorite show on television and wait for your favorite song to randomly play on the radio. It was a different time.
After high school, I went to a junior college for one year, transferred to Texas Tech, and then graduated from the University of Dallas with a degree in International Studies. I went back to school at Texas Tech for a master’s degree in history. Many Peace Corps volunteers apply and serve right after college.
