In 1992 I made a trip to my home town in Arkansas to visit family. My cousin and I wanted to see a movie and Pure Country was playing at the dollar theater. This was our first real exposure to George Strait, and although he may not be an Oscar caliber actor, he’s quite a singer and easy on the eyes, too. We made such a big deal out of it that our mothers went with us to see it again the next night.

When my dad heard our story, he calmly said, “You know you could have met him at the fair, but he was country.”

My dad tuned pianos for the concerts at the Arkansas Oklahoma state fair during my childhood and met many famous artists. As a teen, however, I was too cool for country and apparently turned up my nose at the chance to meet George Strait.

“Couldn’t you have shown me a picture?” (Yes, I acknowledge this is a shallow comment, but I made it nonetheless.)

My collection now brims with George Strait CDs, and yes, I eventually attended a concert (although not with the backstage pass my dad could have provided once upon a time).

Sitting here listening to “I Saw God Today,” I wonder how many things in life I miss because of preconceived notions or prejudice, because I’m too stubborn to see beyond a label.

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