In 1985, I moved to Austin when I was 32 years old from New Orleans, Louisiana and I really did believe I had moved to heaven. New Orleans was a gritty, every-man-for-himself kind of place, and I was happy to be in the Heart of Texas. I can clearly remember noticing the lack of litter on the streets and highways, and I can really remember thinking that there was a lot of pride here. I had never seen shopping plazas with plantings of flower beds at the street side entrances or apartment complexes with manicured lawns. I had never before lived ANYWHERE that had a view of ANYTHING.

Okay, maybe I had lived a sheltered life.

About ten years after arriving in Austin, I began a career in Real Estate. I always told my clients I could either do this, or I could work for the tourism bureau, because I LOVE THIS CITY. As a Real Estate Broker, I am privileged time-after-time to see this city through ‘baby eyes’. You would be amazed at the comments I get when I show prospective future citizens this beautiful place called Austin. No one expects what they find in our little garden spot.

Many visitors expect to find a provincial, arid spot that they have come to know from too many old-time western movies. Instead, what they find is a true place of beauty, with ‘miles and miles of miles and miles’, luscious blue skies, and a citizenry for the most part happy to share their good fortune. Everywhere you look, you can find something more beautiful than you found just a minute ago.

Living in Texas is like being a member of a big club, and living in Austin is like having season tickets on the fifty yard line!

A few years ago, I went on vacation and spent a few days in Salt Lake City, another beautiful place with wonderful vistas, friendly people and a sense of civic pride that you can cut with a knife. Being there reminded me of when I first moved to Austin.

When I returned to Austin, I made a conscious effort to look around my favorite place. I noticed cigarette butts in the gutters and a citizenry that is in a really big hurry to get someplace. But I knew that deep down within all of our ‘over-scheduled’ lives are all the wonderful folks from thousands of different cities and hundreds of different countries that all meld together to Keep Austin Weird.

Keeping Austin Weird has been and continues to be a wonderful mantra that has resonates around the world. No matter where we visit on this big blue marble, people know about Austin, Texas and are not shy about singing its’ praises.

I JUST THINK IT IS TIME FOR ANOTHER CHORUS!

We can Keep Austin Weird, but we can also KEEP AUSTIN PROUD! There are thousands of ways we can accomplish that goal every single day. Pick up a piece of (someone else’s) litter. Donate $10 to the charity of someone else’s choice. Let someone merge in front of you on MoPAc. Don’t honk at someone, just because you can. Apply the brakes in your car and stop before the light turns red! What a concept!

The ways you can show your pride (again) in our wonderful city are limitless.

Won’t you help us spread the word?

If you have an idea, please share it with us. We look forward to hearing from you.

You can contact us at:
Keep Austin Proud
PO Box 41868
Austin TX 78704-1868
info@keepaustinproud.com

Don’t Litter	Recylce	Don’t Pollute