Raise your glass, Tacoma, and repeat after me ...

At some point in your education, you probably had to learn the official whatnots of your state.

All states have an official bird or flower or tree. (Or all of the above.) Many started as a class project. Some originated to promote tourism or industry. A few are just zany.

New Mexico has an official state question. (Red or Green?)

Utah chose Jell-O as the official state snack because what’s better than food that jiggles?

When I was young, North Carolina became the only state to adopt an official state toast – the dilly, dilly tribute kind. We had to memorize it in the 5^th grade when few of us were of drinking age.

It remains my favorite official state symbol.

(The Washington State motto “Alki” would be my favorite if it had ever been officially adopted. I have built an entire lifestyle around this wonderful Chinook word meaning “by and by” or “eventually.”)

I recite the first of four verses in the Tarheel toast whenever it seems remotely appropriate, which may explain why I am seldom invited anywhere.

Nothing could be finer than the line: “Where the weak grow strong and the strong grow great, here’s to down home, the Old North State.”

Tacoma deserves an official toast.

I asked around if we had one. Some thought that a 1910 tune sung by thousands of people at the dedication of Stadium Bowl might have gotten the nod.

Without any sense of irony, the throng warbled: “…where the sea winds aroma, breathe over Tacoma, Tacoma the Rose of the West…”

Come on, forebears. You know that no combination of sea breezes and rose gardens could have masked the stench of horse hockey mounds in 1910 cities, including Tacoma.

Some history buffs think that a 1901 cheer comes closest to our official toast: “Seattle! Seattle! Death rattle! Death rattle! Tacoma! Tacoma! Aroma! Aroma!”

This taunt is attributed to George Francis Train, who gave us the City of Destiny tag and did many crazy things.

As toasts go, it has a lot in its favor. It is short. Its use of superfluous exclamation points went unsurpassed until Click! came along. It leans in to the aroma stigma.

But the rattle that Train heard was the distant ring of cash registers filling up with Alaska gold rush money.

Besides, mocking neighbors is fraught with peril. They just mock back. Or worse.

Tacoma boosters should have appreciation of this place in its own right, not by comparison to other places.

Listen to what residents tell outsiders about our city. We celebrate our diversity. We honor the many here who served our country. We were the first to stand for the national anthem.

We are resilient, resourceful and caring. We surround a spectacular bay. We are infused with Coast Salish culture. We have great neighborhoods and colorful neon signs. Our bridges have stayed upright since Gertie galloped.

Some of the greatest companies in the world incubated here. Tahoma Mama watches over us. We are happiest when we see her.

Annie the cow worked our docks for pancakes. We go daffy over daffodils. Our garages produced the best surf and rock bands. We have wonderful museums. Elvis shook up the Lincoln Bowl, Teddy spoke loudly at Stadium and young Bing toddled about town. We are a veritable treasure chest.

So raise your glasses and join me in a toast. I’m giving it a shot:

“Here’s to the town that snuggles the bay, the boom of the boomiest as Kipling did say.

Where the weak turn gritty and the gritty turn great. Here’s to Tacoma in Evergreen State.

Here’s to our neon, our Mountain, our ‘hoods. And here’s to the secret that we really smell good.

Have you tasted our Roca, tried Frisko Freeze? Did you notice our parks with their magnificent trees?

Then lift your glass higher and say it with pride; T-Town is our town, let no one deny.”

I’ll work on it.

Alki.

This story was originally published July 20, 2018 at 3:00 PM with the headline "Raise your glass, Tacoma, and repeat after me ...."