Chuck Norris once ordered Chik Fil A on a Sunday, and they served him.

The world is not short of Chuck Norris jokes. I'd assume there are at least a few thousand, and as time goes on, more and more are added every time the classic meme gets popular again.

This whole topic actually came up over lunch the other day, and nobody believed me when I dropped the fun fact that Chuck Norris is actually from Southwest Oklahoma.

Almost instantly, the cell phones came out of pockets, everyone calling shenanigans only to learn that yes, Chuck Norris is from Southwest Oklahoma.

If you find yourself in search of one of the best hole-in-the-wall restaurants in SWOK, looking for America's best fried fish and you somehow get lost South of Waurika, odds are you'll find your way to the birthplace and hometown of America's true martial arts master. It's a tiny little one-horse town called Ryan.

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A town that has historically shrunk over time actually grew in the years after Chuck was born there. Coincidence? Totally, but it plays into the Chuck nomenclature. Ryan is a town that claims its fame from being along the historic Chisholm Trail... a theme that's quite common in many small communities in that part of SWOK.

Chuck was born there in 1940 on the heels of the Great Depression and Dust Bowl. Born to an impoverished part of the state just before America would heal the economy while winning our second world war.

The story of his upbringing is somewhat socially tragic... a famously alcoholic father that embarrassed the family all over their small rural town, a family hit by scandal in the early days of divorce, and a relocation to another nowheresville by the time he turned 16. The entire ordeal turned

It wasn't an uncommon tale among families back then in this part of the country, and like most youths coming of age in rural America, Chuck hopped at his first chance to get out and see the world opting to join the US Air Force. His dream at the time was to become a police officer, so he figured killing two birds with one stone was the smart play.

It was his MP service with the USAF that lead him down the path to finding martial arts in Korea and later introducing his own lethal hands to America and Hollywood... the rest is history and I'll always take comfort in knowing the world's most famous Texas Ranger is a native Oklahoman.

Fun & Kid Friendly Oklahoma Vacation Destinations

Far too often, some bored Karen whose only personality trait is complaining about everything will say something along the lines of "There's nothing to do in Oklahoma..." That's simply not true. There is a ton of stuff to do in Oklahoma that you and the kids will love, you just have to know where to find that stuff and have the gumption to hop off the couch and go do some of it.

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