Texans in Kentucky

I was dropping some stuff off at the Goodwill donation center down the road when an African American man in a cowboy hat walked up with some things. Being the Texan that I am, I had to comment, so I said, "Nice hat. I'm a Texan. I love to see folks in cowboy hats." I immediately felt stupid once the words were out of my mouth. It's not as if Texas has a corner on the cowboy hat market. But the man flashed a proud smile and said, "I'm from Texas too. I'm a retired State Trooper." *Very* cool! I said, "NO WAY!" And he said, "I AM SO!" and proceeded to pull out his wallet, which held the proof of his prior employment with the Texas State Troopers. What a cool interaction. As we were leaving, he said, "I surely do miss Texas. Yes ma'am, I do."