What's in the Water in Midland, Texas?

By Dana Karnowski

Some people come into your life for a short time. Others stay long enough to change it forever.

Dr. John McElligott was one of those people.

In 2017, John and I first talked about the idea for this project. At the time it was just a dream. In 2018 we decided to make that dream a reality. Looking back now, it was one of the best decisions I have ever made.

It wasn’t always easy. There were long hours, frustrations, and a lot for me to learn along the way. What I gained from it was far greater than the work it required.

I gained a best friend.

Together we spent years compiling stories, sharing memories, and inviting others to be part of this community. Today there are more than 500 stories and hundreds of followers and proud “water drinkers”, and hundreds of thousands of readers. What started as an idea became something much bigger — a place where memories live on.

Helping document the life of John and his Texas friends has been one of the greatest honors of my life. Because of this project, I met many Texans who now feel like family to me. I continue to visit many of them, and still talk with some every week.

What began as a blog became something much more, a family to both of us.

I miss Dr. John terribly, and I will miss him for the rest of my life. But his dream will not end here.

John once wrote something that perfectly captured his spirit:

“Everyone asks when I will retire. I tell them-the day before they cremate me.”

He even joked that he was redoing his will and adding more money to the bar bill because he wanted his goodbye to be a celebration.

That was John. Always finding a reason to laugh.

He once asked:

“Why write this blog when you can’t spell? Why talk about water drinkers in Midland, Texas when they hated the taste?”

Then he answered it simply.

“Because stories matter”.

This blog was never meant to be perfect writing. It was meant to capture real memories from the Midlanders who lived through a special time — the classes from 1955 to 1965 at Midland High School and later Robert E. Lee High School. A time full of personalities, friendships, and stories worth remembering.

John believed that if you “thunk” it, it was worth writing down. Because once it is written, it can last forever.

Some stories make us laugh. Others make us cry. Both remind us what it means to live a full life.

As John often reminded us with the words attributed to Abraham Lincoln:

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.”

Dr. John lived those words.

And as long as these stories continue to be shared, his spirit will live on in every memory, every laugh, and every story told here.

Dr. John McElligott passed away peacefully on February 15, 2026. His is his obituary can be found here: Dr. John McElligott Obituary – Knoxville News Sentinel

As long as I am here, his dream will live on.

The Original Word From Our Founder

By John McElligott

Why write when you can’t spell? Why talk about water drinkers in Midland, Texas when they hated the taste? Well… I am not sure, but I will try to give you something to think about and a reason to laugh, smile and cry.

This blog is written by you, the guys and girls of Midland. It is not just a bunch of gibberish about something that is fiction; it’s real and comes from our memories.

This blog comes from us Midlanders who lived during a time period that was different from any of the others during our lifetime. The focus is on the 1955 to 1965 classes at Midland High School and later Robert E. Lee High School. This block of time was special and produced all different types of personalities and each and every one of us has a story.

Now the blog timeline begins with me standing on a sidewalk in Terminal in my underwear, and my personal story will end when my heart stops beating. If you close your eyes and breathe slow and deep you will see your sidewalk and remember the day you saw the beginning of your life.

So why a blog? Why just write about anything that comes to mind? Well…that is the point!!! If you ‘thunk’ it then it’s worth hearing about, and if you write it down it will last forever!

You will read stories that are funny and some that are sad. The laughable stories will make you smile and smiling is therapeutic. The stories that make us tear up and sad, make us not only humble, but more intuitive. Both make you a better person.

Remember what Abraham Lincoln said, “In the end, it’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” Or those famous words by Babe Ruth, “Never let the fear of striking out keep you from playing the game.”