Lubbock doesn’t need a whole lot of anything to collectively lose its mind. We are a town that can stretch excitement from a single event into weeks of conversation, Facebook posts, and “oh, my gosh, did you hear about…” follow-ups. It doesn’t have to be anything major. It just has to be new, slightly unusual, or mildly inconvenient, and it’s BIG news.
New Eats
A new restaurant opening is basically the gold standard around here. Not necessarily eating there, but just knowing it exists. For weeks, conversations among you and your coworkers will be entirely speculative. Is it any good? Overpriced? Too crowded? Someone will say, “I’ll wait until it calms down,” and likely never go. If the place ends up closed within a year, everyone will pretend they saw it coming without ever actually tasting the menu…
Rain or Snow
Weather, of course, is another massive headline around here. Not even extreme weather, just anything different from the norm. We talk about it at work, text our folks about it, and post screenshots of the forecast like nobody else has a weather app. Annoying.
Construction
Road work also deserves an honorable mention. One lane closes on the loop, and we are losing our minds and whining about traffic like we actually have it here. Nobody ever knows how long road work will last, but we will discuss it daily until we find another road to complain about.
Famous Visitors
If someone famous comes to town, even if they only stop for a burrito at Stripes, it’s over. A photo at a gas station or a restaurant is enough to sustain conversation for DAYS.
Business Closures
And last, but not least, closures. A store, a restaurant, a random nail salon you’ve never heard of. It’s breaking friggin’ news around town, and we will chat about it like we’ve lost a close friend, even if we haven’t spent money at the establishment in years, much less ever.
In Lubbock, big deals don’t have to be big. They just have to break the routine. And once they do, we will absolutely not stop talking about them…