Have you ever noticed that Texans are brought up with a great deal of reverence for our state and flag?

I had a friend who was from...I don't remember, but she was shocked when she heard the Texas pledge at school. She said that where she came from...Utah, maybe?...they didn't always say the pledge. Also, she mentioned that we fly our state flag a lot more than her state did. And I know teachers have always had that reverence in their voice when they discussed Texas history; sometimes more than when they discussed American history. What's up? Why do we have so much pride in our state and our history, whereas other states don't really seem to?