And Why Am I Doing This?

Hello, the name’s Kelly Carr, but wait before you try to sell me your Mary Kay products, know that I’m not interested, I’m a guy, and a manly one too.

Being a boy named Kelly wasn’t like Sue or anything, but it had some consequences. I refused to watch “Saved By The Bell” because friends were always calling me Kelly Kapowski. I received a lot of invitations to enter pageants. But now as an adult I can hang with other, more legendary male Kelly’s.

I grew up in San Dimas CA until age 9, when Dad was offered 2 jobs, one in Hawaii and one in Texarkana. Naturally he chose paradise, and we moved here in 1991. The first day of school (Kennedy Elementary) I noticed some differences: It’s “dubya”, not “double you”. More concern about being paddled than of killing the whales. Tornado drills, not earthquake drills. It was important that I learn what a quarterback is and who Garth Brooks is.

Over the course of time I got exposed to the many flavors of TXK. Pine Street Middle, NAI (private school now closed), First Baptist youth group (heavy with Pleasant Groveness) TC, A&M Txk, and I served tables at Ironwood Grill. Throughout that I always saw myself as being in TXK but not really being a Texarkanian. In college, some friends and I started a rock band called Pilotdrift.

We had a lot of fun doing it, and even had some success, too: Signed with an indie label, released an album in the US, released a vinyl single in England, music got on several tv shows like TLC’s Deadliest Catch, played festivals and shows with other great artists, and went on multiple national tours in US and Canada opening for some notable indie rock groups.

Anyway, it was during interviews and these “away shows” where it was evident that we were viewed as “that indie rock band from Texarkana”. So where once I was an outsider living here observing Txk’s quirkiness, now I (and our music) represent Texarkana to others.  So, they see me, they think “Texarkana”. Which I thought was funny, but then I started to notice the Texarkana in me. Canadians cracked up at my Texas accent that I didn’t know I had. I experienced withdrawals from sweet tea, and blue bell. And well, explaining what we count as fun around here can sound odd.

And so yes, I now recognize myself as being from here too. And I’m glad, and thankful for it. I met my wife here, my kids were born here. I started my business here, SunRay Window Cleaning (I do houses, free estimates!). I help lead worship at Christ Community Church here. I returned to college and will soon have my degree from A&M in elementary education (hoping to be an elementary music teacher). Then 2020 came.

The news cycle was dark and draining. Eventually I stumbled onto The Onion and The Babylon Bee which helped me process the news chaos through a humorous filter. But they also had a lot of content that satirized everyday life. I thought “Why not have that on a local scale? Maybe less on politics and more on daily TXK life.” Hey, everyone’s got to have a creative hobby. So I started tossing around ideas with some friends in a group text, and next thing you know The TXK BNA was born.