Lubbock residents are uniquely skilled at responding to minor problems with a mix of deep sighs, quiet acceptance, and just enough complaining to be therapeutic. Nothing is ever an emergency. But nothing is ever fine, either.
Photo by Adrian Swancar on Unsplash
Take traffic, for example. A single lane closure doesn’t cause chaos so much as a citywide emotional shift. People adjust their departure times by 20 minutes, announce the inconvenience to everyone they see, and then proceed as normal while insisting the roads are “a mess.” They are not. But the idea of them is.
When the internet slows down, the response is immediate resignation. No one panics. Instead, we stare at the screen, refresh once, maybe twice, and then decide the universe is sending a message. Productivity is abandoned. Snacks are acquired.
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Weather-related inconveniences are handled with expert indifference. A light dusting of ice leads to canceled plans, strategic grocery runs, and a collective agreement that staying home is simply the responsible choice. No one is scared. We just don’t feel like dealing with it.
If a restaurant is out of what you wanted, you won’t argue. You’ll say, “It’s fine,” in a tone that clearly means it isn’t, and then think about it for the rest of the day. You may bring it up later. Casually. Several times.
Photo by Alexander Dummer on Unsplash
Even power flickers are treated as more of an insult than a threat. There’s a pause. A glance around. A check outside. Then someone says, “Well,” and life continues.
Photo by Les Anderson on Unsplash
In Lubbock, mild inconveniences aren’t crises. They’re character-building moments we endure quietly, complain about briefly, and then reference forever.
Keep scrolling for more relatable odds and ends in the galleries below…
The Five Stages of Living in Lubbock: From Denial to Acceptance
If you think you’ve never been through this, you’re lying to yourself.
Gallery Credit: Chrissy
The Seven Natural Disasters of Lubbock
Things get messy around here, folks.
Gallery Credit: Chrissy