Sep. 2--Maybe it's all a matter of perspective.

While cruising the online message boards, it's fascinating to see how some locals yearn for chain stores and restaurants not found in Oklahoma City. Case in point: Dairy Queen.

I'm not sure when the old DQ signs (referred to as the official stop sign in Texas) disappeared from the Oklahoma City market. I can remember one operating near the University of Central Oklahoma until a few years ago, but an online search confirms the closest such store is in Chickasha.

Some people apparently are craving DQ so much that they are willing to travel to Chickasha to get their favorite Blizzard. Yet others wish for an In-N-Out Burger or a Jack in the Box.

The grass, of course, is always greener on the other side, and that means that if you do just a cursory search online, you will find people in other states yearning for Sonic or Braum's -- brands we see on virtually every corner.

And if you have any doubt as to whether any of these feelings are real or just a fancy, look no further than Steak 'n Shake, the Cheesecake Factory and Krispy Kreme Doughnuts. All three opened to long lines and a media blitz seemingly outdone only by the Sooners winning a national championship.

Sometimes there are childhood or vacation memories attached to such yearning -- or maybe it's simply a matter of craving what we don't have.

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