Lest Any Man Should Boast

by Sal Moriarty

“Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.” Proverbs 16:18 (KJV)

“Being proud of the place you were born is a little like being proud of your shoe size.” Unknown

Back in Louisiana, I used to have late night visitors to my patio (I lived in an apartment and didn't want to smoke inside, which is the primary reason I made a few good friends in the Pelican state). One used to amble over with a bottle of Maker's Mark and a pack of cigarettes. That meant we were going to be there a while, and the conversation might go in any direction.

“So, you're from Texas,” she said one evening. “Bet that means a lot to you.”

I've lived in different states and, if you're from Texas, it's going to come up. Texas looms large in the American psyche.

“Well,” I answered. “It just means my folks lived in Texas when I was born.”

“You're not proud to be a Texan?”

“Not especially,” I said. “Happy to be a Texan? Sure.”

Pride comes up a lot in present day America. It's referenced on bumper stickers and the myriad flags I see waving from the backs of pickup trucks (“Don't Tread On Me” is big in Texas, but they also claim it in liberal circles, so I don't have the slightest idea what it means today – probably nothing).

You hear a lot about pride in political speeches. Professional liars going on and on about accidents of birth (“Proud to be an American...”) or the accomplishments of others (Democrats droning on about JFK and Camelot).

We like to attach ourselves to the giants of our places and times, while distancing ourselves from the miscreants who occupy those same places and times. Being from the Lone Star State, it's easy to align myself with greats like Freddie King and Larry McMurtry. Tex Watson? No so much, but he's a Texan, too.

In my opinion, expressing pride in things one had nothing to do with is, well, dumb. It's almost certainly a biproduct of low self-esteem. That which is earned should be a lot like love - not boastful.