OKIES Ain't All HOKIES!

Buffalo Statue, Best Western Hotel, Lawton.

 We found our next stop for the night in Lawton, Oklahoma at the Best Western Hotel. It is worth mentioning that since we had arrived  in the USA, some folks would ask us why we were there in that particular of  the country, and usually I answered "because it is there"! This was very much the case in Lawton, especially with some of  the staff at our hotel. I guess  they think Aussies would go  to California, or New York. I have had a fascination for prairies for most of my life, and we were headed to some famous memorials in that area.

So we got a lot of attention here, mainly from young Josh , and Lorie. So  when we went to have our dinner in the hotel, they  couldn't get enough of us  and wanted to talk and talk ( and listen to our accents I am sure ). Josh is 17. He  comes from Nebraska and works at the hotel to support his sick mother and family back home. He will join the military then go to University and make a good life for himself  and family. And I really hope he does. He was  one of the coolest and most with-it 17 year olds I have ever met. Not a square at all, Josh spoke in much more worldy  and  intelligent ways than your average teenager. He was NOT a Gung-Ho conservative American and had interesting political views for someone  in  a military town, which Lawton is. Josh just wants to survive and do well in life and has  his plan for this already laid  out. We  were really impressed by him, and  he just wanted to  sit and chat with us all night.  Several Americans we met opened up to us, especially about the political and economical situation.  It was if they felt safe telling us things that could usually only be  discussed in very hushed tones.

Josh

Lorie - with pens  in her hair

 This was a good experience, staying in this hotel. Tomorrow we would get up and see something  that we were surprised and quite excited  to find happening in town.