The Sights of Oklahoma We All See but Rarely Notice

There are things in Oklahoma you’ve seen a thousand times but probably never stopped to really see. Some of them have become so common that they’ve faded into the "norm" of everyday life.

Some are understandable in that regard. Is there anyone besides me who has a picture of a random field as their phone lock screen background? But others are almost purpose-built to be snapped over to Instagram - or whatever photo app the childrens are using these days.

The Everyday Backdrop of Oklahoma

Think about the endless grid of perfectly straight two-lane highways, or the hundred-year-old cobblestone house and barn in the wheat field just before you get to Headrick... You’ve driven past it all for years, but probably never even noticed because it's just part of the landscape.

We all know the red dirt that clings to tires and shoes like it’s got a personal grudge. The cattle dotting pastures as if someone sprinkled them out of a salt shaker. The water towers announcing towns with slogans nobody remembers voting on. These are the things you'll never see on a postcard, but are burned into your brain.

Personally, the grain elevators and silos stay with me. I can remember my grandpa keeping us entertained on road trips by telling us the stories of him building them once upon a time. The neon signs that are coming back to life in the smallest towns, giving off that odd buzz at dusk. There are no businesses to find behind the signs anymore, consider them a local passion project for a simpler time.

Landmarks That Tell Our Stories

Then there’s the sky. Even the manliest men can't help but be romantic about the Sooner State sunsets. They really are breathtaking.

By themselves, none of these sights would ever stop you in your tracks... But collectively, they’re the fingerprints of Oklahoma. They’re what make a drive across the state both monotonous and strangely comforting. It's the reason why you could probably blindfold someone and drop them off on a county road. Within five minutes, they’d know exactly where they were.

Learning to See Home Differently

Most of us don’t think about these things until someone points a camera at them, and suddenly the ordinary feels worth a second look. And maybe that’s the trick. Learning to see Oklahoma the way we’d see it if we weren’t from here. Not as filler, but all the quiet details that make this place ours.